Break the Silence
by SlothKeeper
Summary: In the Enchanted Forest of Auradon, the VK's where like the Merrymen. But in Storybrooke, the VK's are just kids with their own personal baggage. In Storybrooke, Ben's lost his voice. He's just the son of a coward and a dead prostitute. And every year on Miner's Day ends the same way. Maybe this year, Rumple can get Emma to break the curse before its too late for Ben. AU Fusion
1. 8:15

**Sloth: -Risings from beyond the grave as an ethereal demon-** I LIVE! **-coughs up smoke and turns back to normal-** ew.

Hello everyone! It has been forever since I posted anything on this site! And dear god has it been a while. I checked my inbox and actually got some messages asking if I was ok. Short answer, yes, I am ok. I was going through some personal stuff. Leaving college, going through personal issues, jobs that actually gave me grey hair, and then finding a balance between work and me time...Me time's kind of over powering work right now. But long story short, yes, I am back.

With a new story...Sorry, not sorry? This really just happened because I was so sick ended up binging Disney. And this after finishing Kingdom Hearts 3 so...um...somehow I made a crossover between Descendants and Once Upon a Time. Don't ask how, I just felt like it. I've already finished the first five chapters and, well guess it's time to get the ball rolling right?

Notes: This is an AU series that takes elements from both series. The first five chapters take place pre-series of OUAT. Chapter 6 will be the arrival of Emma the story will follow the core themes and ideas of OUAT with some major alterations here and there -glares at Pan being a father plotline-. Some characters from Descendants had to have their backgrounds changed to fit into the world of OUAT, but their core character and ideas are still there. I hope.

And as a reminder, everyone's cursed right now, so they are purposefully out of character. If you don't like it, skip to -insert chapter here- when the curse breaks. Until then -laughs at the horrible things he's got planned.

ENJOY!

* * *

**Chapter One. 8:15**

"_Mal," the boy called to her, his hazel eyes brimming with tears to match her own. She tried to go to him, but the winds that whipped around them were too strong. Each step towards him was met with magical resistance. _

"_Ben," she cried. This couldn't be happening. Not after everything they had been through. This wasn't fair. If this was supposed to be true love, then why was it so hard? Why did it hurt so much just to stay together? "Please."_

"_Mal," he called again, his voice breaking through the storm. She looked up at him and into his soft smile. A smile reserved only for her, during their most intimate and most vulnerable times. "Did I mention, I'm in love with you?"_

_And then he was gone, swallowed by the darkness. _

_/_

She woke up with a start, the nightmare fresh but fading. Instincts told her to reach across her bed, to find the warmth of a second body that should have been there. Yet as her consciousness adjusted to the world of the waking, it dawned on her where she was. She was alone in her room, staring lazily at the fairies and dragons that decorated the walls.

With a heavy, and exaggerated, groan, Mal sat up. A brief glance at her alarm clock told her she was about two minutes away from hearing it go off. She juggled with the idea of just going back to sleep, but what was the point? The alarm would just go off and then if she wasn't down in time, the ice queen herself would come up to get her up.

Walking up to the calendar that hung on her door, Mal grabbed one of her many sharpies and painted a large purple X over the date.

/

_Storybrooke. October 24__th__, 2001_

/

Storybrooke Prep was a far cry from the most pleasant place to be. The uniforms itched and lacked any style. The teachers were boring and couldn't seem to bother with adding any flare to make classes worth paying attention to. Half the time, Mal she either doodled in the corner of her note book or fiddled with her necklace. Honestly, the only good part of the whole day was lunch, when she got to spend time with her friends.

She laughed as Doug pretended to be a walrus by using straws as tusks. He leaned in for a kiss, but she playfully guarded with the palm of her hands, laughing at his antics. "Not until you remove the straws from your face," she told him through her laughter. He pouted but obliged, much to Carlos and Jay's protests.

"I wanted to see if I could throw my onion ring through the gap," Carlos said with a pout.

"Maybe another time," Mal said before sharing a kiss with her boyfriend. His lips were soft and gentle. Were they the passionate flames she was used to receiving? No. Did they make her feel happy? Yes. And honestly, small bits of happiness here and there were much better than anything.

Especially in this dump. If you weren't being bullied by Gil and the football team, you were desperately trying to make new friends to cling to. Or in Uma's case, try to get people to join the advanced prodigy program. The girl and two of her club members were trying to once again to get someone to join by making an embarrassment of themselves in the cafeteria. They were trying to pass over fliers while trying to draw attention to themselves with big poster boards. It was a surprise that nobody's thrown their food at the group.

Jay leaned into their huddle, but he didn't bother to lower his voice as he spoke. "Rumor has it that if they can't get one more member to join by the end of the week, their program gets axed."

"Why?" Carlos asked, fries sticking out of his mouth in a make-shift tentacle beard.

"Because mother's part of the school board."

The foursome looked up at the fifth member of their group. They greeted Evie politely, making room for her tray. She sat down next to Carlos and adjusted her hair before addressing them. "Sorry I'm late. Harry wouldn't leave me alone about the whole mathletes thing."

"Is he still trying to get you to join?" Mal laughed.

"Right? I told him, I've got no interest in it."

"But you're really good," Doug complimented from where he was draped around Mal. Evie blushed at the comment, but simply shook her head.

"But that doesn't mean it interests me. If it's not science or fashion, I don't have time for it."

"Yeah, but come on. Even for a nerd, Harry's pretty good looking," Mal pointed out. "His biceps are as big as Carlos's head." When Doug pouted at her comment, Mal just chuckled before leaning in. "Hey. He's still got nothing on you."

"Aw, you're so sweet," Doug smiled before connecting with her lips for another kiss.

Carlos jokingly pretended to choke on his fries…until one actually slipped down and he needed Jay's help to unclog his wind pipe. With swift, heavy pats to Carlos's back, Jay managed to dislodge the food before turning to Evie.

"What does your mom being on the school board have to do with the Prodigy Program?"

"Well, apparently mother thinks the program's costing the school too much money and want to cut it. But because it technically counts as a club, the only way to cut it is either there's not enough students participating, or there's no teacher supervisor," Evie explained between delicate bites of food.

"Shame," Mal commented without enthusiasm. It wasn't like Uma's club was much of her business. So why bother caring? Still, curiosity had her looking over in Uma's direction. A tall brunette walked over, accepting a flier from Uma. She seemed excited that someone took interest in their club.

That excitement was quickly dashed when Audrey plucked the flier from the boy's hands.

"Sorry, French, but we're not that desperate," she said. The boy looked defeated and walked away, moving to a table to sit by himself. The group's attention was trained on him before Jay spoke up.

"You know, rumor has it, Ben's dad is Mr. Gold."

The comment made the group laugh.

"You can't be serious," Mal laughed.

"No, it's true," Jay defended playfully.

"Dude, last week you said that his dad was Dr. Whale. Besides" Carlos pointed to the lone boy. Ben was sipping on his milk while timidly reading one of his many fantasy books. "Gold's scary, even for an old guy. You really think someone like _that_ could be related to Ben?"

They all glanced at the boy one more time. There was a moment of consideration as they gave him a once over. The analysis was unanimous as they broke out into laughter. There was no way Ben could be related to Mr. Gold. Scary as he may be, Mr. Gold was still leagues cooler than a freak like Ben. Still, Mal's eyes lingered on Ben a little longer than the others. When she was caught, she smoothly changed the subject.

"So, Evie, new baby brother, huh?"

"Oh my gosh, guys. Henry is just the cutest baby," Evie gushed before placing her fork down and digging into her bag and pulling out polaroids. "Look at him in his onesie. And here's mom feeding him a bottle, and here he is sleeping…"

As Evie gushed and proudly showed off the pictures of her new brother, all thoughts of Ben French dissipated like a bad nightmare.


	2. No Regrets

**Sloth: **Hello everyone! How's everyone doing? I hope all is well. And yes, a new chapter so soon. Like I said, I finished with the first five chapters and I'm going to post them quickly. They all fit as one cohesive prologue.

In this one, a little insight on everyone's favorite Evil Queen. Regina's a complicated character and I wanted to try to capture some of that complexity, so hopefully I did just that. Without further ado, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Two. No Regrets **

/

_The purple storm clouds rolled over the entire realm. It ripped through everything it touched with complete disregard for the natural order. Farmers were ripped from their lands. Fairies were plucked out of the skies as they tried to flee from the curse. Animals scurried, thinking they could just escape if they just got to their dens. But there was no safety. The cloud forced its way into every home, every ship, and ever castle. It snatched people left and right, bunging them all into the ice cold darkness. Their memories, their very being, were ripped from them and rewritten as the Queen saw fit. And if she didn't bother to rewrite their story, then the Curse would do as it pleased. _

_It swapped families, giving children to the wrong parents or forced strangers to be in loveless marriages. If you were lucky, this would have been it. There were those who were stuck with their family, but the relationships would be brushing your teeth with a jagged knife. There would be no escaping this darkness the curse would spread. _

_As the Enchanted Forest of Auradon disappeared from the realm, a small town in Maine would come to life. _

_Welcome to Storybrooke._

/

_Storybrooke, November 17__th__, 2001_

/

Regina was a busy woman. She was a mayor with a lot to do and little time to do it. After all, this town would fall apart without her. Almost quite literally. The curse was tied to her and so long as she stayed, so would the curse. There had been times when he questioned whether the curse had been a good idea to begin with. While he had been happy at first, that happiness didn't last very long.

Everything had been so predictable. Every day was the same, with only a few differences here and there to spice things up now and then. Like when Mary Margaret appeared to get a back bone for a day out of nowhere. Or the time the ice cream shop was being run by this woman she had never seen before. The changes to the town were spontaneous and gave a bit of excitement, but they never lasted. Even raising Evie was predictable.

Their relationship had been strained in the Enchanted Forest. She had run off when the war with Snow had escalated. Prior to casting the curse, Regina had only gotten the occasional letter by raven, telling her that her daughter was ok, but wouldn't be returning until the feud was over. It was fine though. The curse had reunited her with Evie.

But it wasn't the same. Her daughter was stuck, unchanging, following the routine set up by the curse that would reset time every time, on the dot.

Picking up Henry's bottle, a disturbing thought struck her. What would happen when the dead line approached? Would it be the same as the year before? Would the town gather together for Miner's Day to celebrate, only to have it end with a body? And if that happened…? Two variables came to mind that she did not want to happen. Would that boy remain dead now that Henry was here, or would Henry disappear because the curse caused time to reset?

Her hand gripped the bottle tighter.

She couldn't think like that. She had to think about now and worry about the consequences later. And right now, her son needed to be fed before she took off for work. Steeling her resolve, she fixed up the formula and strolled into the living room with the confidence of a queen. She paused briefly at the sight of Evie totting on Henry.

The sight of her daughter making her son laugh was all the reason she needed to push away any regrets she had. This curse was the best damn thing she'd ever done. Smiling, she walked over to her daughter and held the bottle to her.

"Do you want to feed him?" she asked.

Evie looked up from blowing kisses in Henry's direction. "Really? I'd love to," she beamed. With Regina's guiding hands, Evie got Henry tucked into her arms before gently placing the bottle into his hungry maw. Regina sat next to her daughter, smiling softly as the girl fed the infant. She absent-mindedly played with Evie's hair, feeling how soft it was compared her own. Their hairs might have matched in color, but Evie's hair was as soft as her father's.

Pushing the memories of that man away, she stood up, swiftly going into mayor mode. "I've got to go into the office soon," she said. "Do you need help watching Henry? I can have Summer over."

"I'll be fine, Mom. Mal and the others are coming over so we can study for a Calculous test on Monday," Evie explained.

Regina frowned at the prospect of so many teenagers in her home. She trusted her daughter, but her friends? Not so much.

"Wouldn't the library be a better place for them?"

"But I can't bring Henry to a library, now can I?" Evie countered.

"Careful with that cheekiness, young lady," Regina reprimanded playfully before heading to grab her purse and bag. "If I can't talk you out of bringing those ruffians into our home, I can at least expect you to keep the house in one piece. I'll have Summer come by and check on you."

"Mother," Evie whined.

"Don't whine, Evie. It's unbecoming of a lady. I love you," she said before planting a kiss on Evie's head.

"Love you too," the girl replied.

With a smile on her face, Regina left. Upon exiting, her eyes caught sight of Moe French's hideous flower delivery truck. Her gazed locked onto Moe's grandson as the boy exited the truck. While a brief glimmer of pity surfaced, it was quickly squashed under the ruthless thumb of Madam Mayor as she caught sight of a certain imp limping on his daily walk. She watched as father and son walked by each other without even looking at each other and she reveled in the fact that they were still unaware of the other.

Rumpelstiltskin thought he had been clever, keeping the boy a secret from the realm. Too bad his little maid just couldn't stop whining about going back to her "precious" spawn. She had the perfect little family with two beautiful children and he had nothing.

As Ben French returned to the truck and Mr. Gold continued on his walk, she didn't have any doubts in her curse. She was sure everything will be fine come Miner's Day.


	3. Fortune Favors The Brave

**Sloth: **This chapter originally had a different start that was heavily Devie. And Doug played the part Dopey rather than Dopey's son. I decided to change tactics and go over how I wanted to take Doug's character before I cemented his fairy tale counterpart. So instead of that, I decided to give some brief VK shenanigans.

As for whether Devie will remain...eh, I'll just follow the story.

Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Three. Fortune Favors the Brave**

_The Enchanted Forest. Many Years Ago._

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

There had been many things they had seen during their travels. Giant bean stalks that reached to the skies, tiny sea witches with pirate fetishes, and even an elephant graveyard. But in all that time, the rotten little teens had never seen anything like the Dark Castle before. It was both beautifully built with faded white walls, while looking utterly imposing as dark rotting ivy stretched over across the walls. The sight made Evie shutter.

"So this is the Dark One's castle," Mal's voice hummed unimpressed. "I've seen better."

"Are you sure this is where it's at?" Jay asked as he gazed over the imposing walls. Evie would already see the gears turning in his head. She'd bet three pieces of gold that he was already trying to figure out which of the many windows he should break down first.

"Yes," Evie answered. Carlos walked over, his own eyes following the walls. In his arms, Dude whined and fussed.

"I don't mean to be rude, but you sure?" the small boy asked. "I mean, your mom's the Evil Queen. Why would she give Rumpelstiltskin a heart?"

Evie let out a calm, steady breath. The chilled air that hung around the Dark Castle sent shivers down her spine, but it paled to the discomfort she got from about to break into the home of Rumpelstiltskin. She had seen him many times in her youth. Her mother taught she had protected Evie from the imposing imp. But Evie had been too curious for her own good. Even now she could still feel her skin crawl as the imagine of Rumpelstiltskin's crooked teeth and crocodile skin flashed through her mind.

"Mother knows keeping it in my grandmother's vault wouldn't stop me," Evie explained. "But with Rumpelstiltskin…"

"It's almost guaranteed that no one's ever going to see it ever again," Mal finished. "But luckily for us, the Charming's got him locked up."

"And, how sure about that are you?" Jay asked. When the muscle of the group looked nervous, you knew there was something wrong. Mal however, looked as confident as ever. She ran her fingers through her purple locks as she examined the place. Gingerly, she waved her hand over the front door, revealing a weak magical barrier over it.

"I'm confident," she grinned. The magic was so weak that a novice could break it down. With a flick of the wrist, the protection over the doors broke and they creaked open. "Now, let's go find us a dwarf's heart. Shall we?"

As Mal turned to her, Evie smiled with gratitude. Gratitude for all of them. They didn't have to come with her on this journey, and yet, here they were. They were going to ransack the beast's castle to find her Dopey's heart. If she thought she couldn't do this before, she sure as hell did now. With her head held high, Evie strutted over to Mal, her blue hoop skirt bouncing with each step. She stuck her arm through the crook of Mal's arm.

"Oh, we shall," Evie grinned. Together, the girls marched forward, blue and purple bouncing in sync as led the charge into the Dark Castle. Carlos and Jay followed, the youngest of them allowing his dog to roam the castle to his little heart's content. Dude looked around, sniffing the walls and curtains. He yipped in approval before trotting to his master's side.

The four of them laughed as they explored the abandoned castle, unaware of the eyes that followed their every step.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_Storybrooke, December 21__st__, 2001_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Hey, Evie."

The mayor's daughter looked up from her locker. Doug was walking towards her, his purple beanie skewed on his head and as he adjusted his glasses, Evie felt the butterflies in her stomachs flutters. No. She had to push that feeling down. He's taken, she told herself. Her and Mal might not be the best of friends, but she wouldn't do that to the blond. Checking her mirror to see if she was blushing, Evie smiled at the boy.

"Hey, Doug. If you're looking for Mal, she's already gone."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Her foster mom needed her at the ice cream shop."

"But it's December," Doug pouted.

"Yeah, her foster mom's real weird about it," Evie frowned. It was like Ms. Fisher lived off the cold or something.

"Well thanks. Want to come with me to meet her?"

Yes, her heart said.

"I'm sorry. I've got to get home and watch Henry for the evening."

"Ok. I'll catch you later then," he walked off without another word. Sighing, Evie closed her locker and made her own way out of school.

Distracted by her thoughts, she didn't notice her locker neighbor until they collided into each other. Books and school notes scattered to the floor. She let out a string of curses that would make pirates blushed before angrily bending down to pick up her things. While her anger wasn't directed at the other student, she noticed how he flinched.

She felt guilty at Ben's expression. "No. I'm sorry. That wasn't directed at you," she tried to reassure him. It was no secret that Ben was…skittish. Putting a gentle smile on her face, she tried to make herself seem as harmless as possible. It was only when he started picking up his things did Evie picked up her's. As she picked up her things, her hands came upon a large leather bound book. She looked over the gold embroiling. "_Her Handsome Hero_. I didn't think you were into cheap romance novels, Ben."

The boy's eyes grew wide and he started shaking his head while his mouth opened and closed like a guppy. He timidly gestured for the book, trying to get it back and Evie relented. She'll admit, the smile he gave her upon receiving the book was infectious.

"Must be a really good book. It looks really worn out and –"

Evie will admit, it was her fault for trying to grab the book. But the instant her fingers brushed against the leather. His head snapped towards her, which was probably the fastest she'd ever seen him move. Before she could even say anything, he took off, bolting for the front door.

"W-wait. Ben." He was gone in the crowd and Evie sighed.

She couldn't do anything now. Standing up, she moved forward, poised and regal as a princess.


	4. Feed the Beast

**Sloth: **Hello everyone! I hope everyone likes long chapters, because they're starting to get pretty hefty here. I know the first two chapters didn't seem coherent, but I wanted to get a few world building things settled. There's still a bit of world building here, introducing how the VK's met everyone's favorite baby beast. Considering who his father is, just how much of a beast was Ben while he lived in the Enchanted Forest?

Also, a fair warning, this is where things start to get...angsty. This story's going to feature a lot of dark themes, such as implied child abuse, suicidal thoughts and attempts. Starting now is when those themes begin to come into play, so fair warning.

Well, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Four. Feed the Beast**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_Rumpelstiltskin's Castle. Many Years Ago_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

A loud screech of terror broke the silence of the Dark Castle.

Of all the things that could have gone wrong while the VK's were raiding the castle, being accosted by the furniture was not something that crossed their minds. As Carlos tried to fend off the barking foot rest, Jay let out a battle cry as he took an axe to a stampeding wardrobe. Dude barked and yipped angrily at a tea pot that hopped around him, earl grey slouching around inside.

"Mal, I know you said this would be easy," Evie ducked the clock that hopped at her face. It hit the curtains and harmlessly rolled down. She watched as it tried to get back up and swiftly ran to kick it across the hall. "But how are we losing to a furniture?!"

A broom swatted her and other cleaning supplies dogged piled on her from above.

Mal whipped back as a suit of armor tried to attack her. It's weapon of choice had long since been confiscated by Jay, but that didn't stop it from shambling towards Mal like a zombie. Enraged, she twirled her hand, summon a fireball. She hurled it at the suit of armor with enough force to shatter the armor to bits. She smirked at the destruction before brushing back her hair. "What are you talking about? I'm on a roll."

Jay came over and knocked away the broom and feather dusters that were ambushing Evie. Helping her up, he turned around and swiftly buried an axe right into armoire. It fell back, crashing to the floor unmoving. "Can we just find the heart and get going?"

Dude trotted over, shaking the tea pot by its spout. Mal smiled at the little dog, bending down to pick up the tea pot and pet the dog. It wasn't until they heard Carlos shouting that they realized there was still work to do.

"Help!"

The younger boy was being dragged by a living pile of linen.

"Carlos!"

They ran after their friend. For a living clothing, it seemed to move quickly, dragging Carlos by his leg as it turned corners. The chase didn't end until they reached a dining hall. On the dining table, a candelabra hopped up and down while plates and dishes danced in delight. It would have been humorous if there wasn't a suit of armor sharping a carving knife. Upon seeing sharp instruments, Carlos grabbed onto the door frame, turning to his friends while shrieking, "they're gunna eat me!"

"I got ya, Buddy!" Jay charged forward, using his full weight to throw himself into the linen monster. It fell apart, under garments and cloaks flying into the air like innards. Jay stood up, Carlos hanging onto him like an overgrown koala. He just patting the ivory haired boy.

"Enough of this," Mal declared as she strolled into the room, channeling her inner dragon. If her mother had daughter her one thing, it was how to storm into a room like she owned it. The air bristled around her as she channeled her magic. She might not be a grand sorceress like her mother and her "_Queens of Darkness_" club, she knew how to get enough magic to do some damage. Throwing her palm out, she unleashed a wave of energy.

It pushed everything back, knocking items off their pedestals, dishing off the table, and broke apart the suit of armor. The magic she unleashed canceled out the enchantment that gave the inanimate objects life. They fell down harmlessly.

"Have I mentioned how bad ass you are?" Evie chuckled as she watched the results of Mal's magic. The dragoness smirked.

"Yes. But I'd like to hear it again."

Mal looked around at the fall objects, her friends spreading out behind her as they took stock of all the items in the dining hall. She picked up a crocodile skinned vest and recoiled at the smell of magic that came off it. Jay came up to her, twirling a golden arrow in his fingers.

"What? They smelling molding?" he asked and he prodded the vest with the arrow. Mal shook her head.

"No. These were washed recently. But it's the enchantment. Whoever made these come to life is an amateur, but they were using some pretty strong stuff." She looked around, her green eyes scanning the room. Everything in here reeked of magic. Whether because it held magic, or because it had been enchanted with mobility. But there was one thing that stood out.

She strolled over to a little tea cup that sat atop an obsidian pedestal. The porcelain tea cup was spotless and beautifully cared for. The only oddity about it was a small chip in it. Curious as to why the Dark One would keep a tea cup of all things, Mal picked it up, holding it in her hands. It was just so…ordinary. "Lame." She said.

Before she could toss it behind her shoulder, a voice called out to her.

"No! Put that down!"

The VK looked around, confused as to where the voice came from. To their surprise, the air shimmered in front of Mal and a cloak fell down. A boy, no older than Mal herself, stood before her. He was dressed in royal blue garments. The kind a prince would be found in. Mal will admit, he was kind of attractive with his slightly messy brown hair and warm hazel eyes. But she wasn't infatuated enough to let him take the tea cup from her. She pulled back just as he reached for it. She backed up, Jay, Evie, and Carlos flanking her.

"Um, and who are you?" she asked.

The boy looked between them. For a minute, it looked like he wasn't going to tell them anything. But then he stood up straight, becoming poised and regal. With his head held high, he replied with a stern and unwavering voice. "I am the ruler of this castle. The Dark One. Now I demand you return my cup and then leave my home."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_Storybrooke, January 10__th__, 2002_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Wait, for real?" Ruby asked in utter shock.

Mary Margaret nodded before turning to the source of their gossip.

Benjamin French sat in a booth, picking at the food that had been placed before him not five minutes earlier. They simply watched as the boy pushed around the peas with his fork. He made no motion to eat or even sip at water. Normally something like this would irritate Ruby, especially when the meal was on the house, but after hearing the full story from Mary Margaret, she really didn't have the heart to tell him to get loss.

"Kids can be so mean."

"I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it myself," the school teacher sighed before taking her eyes off the boy and focusing on her cocoa. "He's such a sweet boy. God knows how long he was in that locker."

Ruby shrugged. Kids did a lot of things no one understood. One day they could be sweet and kind, and then the next day they'll try to look up your skirt like a bunch of horny savages. Or start spreading rumors about you just because you had one to many shots. To be perfectly honest, kids were just horrible and she was so happy to be out of school and living the good life.

Ok, well, yes she was a waitress but that was better than homework, right?

"Maybe I should go over and talk to him? See how he's feeling?" Mary Margaret said. Whether she was actually talking to herself or to her friend, Ruby wasn't sure. It was just something she was used to at this point. Mary Margaret would find some interest in a person and spend a few minutes debating whether to go talk to them or not. Sometimes her own thoughts would just come flying out of her mouth with no end in sight. No wonder she couldn't keep a secret.

Fortunately, before Ruby had to restrain her friend to the counter, Granny spoke up.

"Good luck with that." The elderly woman huffed. "That boy hasn't said a word since his mother died."

The two women flinched at that stark reminder. For as long as they could remember, Lacey French had been something of a wild spirit. From being the life of the party to being that person you'd go for a kick. But out of the blue, she came down with a disease that started to make her see things. Started rambling on about someone called Rumple. Though the details were sketchy, from what Ruby could recall, the dementia eventually took her life, leaving behind a son and his alcoholic grandfather.

"Still, someone should talk to him," Mary Margaret insisted. "I mean, you found him sleeping on the street."

Even though it was said in a hush tone, Granny rolled her eyes. "Speak up, I don't think he heard you."

"Ah…well…," the school teacher bit her lips before turning back to look at the boy. She settled with just looking over at Ben. Ruby smiled a little at the school teacher before pushing herself off the counter and strolled to the lone child. At least with her, she could use the excuse of being a waitress to start a conversation.

"Hey. Is there anything else we can get you?" she asked. She frowned at the way he stilled to the voice of her voice. For a minute, he didn't do anything. He just stared at his plate, licking his lips as his fingers tightened around his fork. But finally he looked up and gently shook his head "no". She gave him a sympathetic smile before turning to Mary Margaret and beckoned her to come over. The teacher did so with a smile, even as Granny rolled her eyes and muttered something about leaving well enough alone.

"Hi, Ben. I'm Mary Margaret. I'm a teacher from the elementary school," she introduced. Again, Ben seem to freeze a little, but he respectfully looked up at them. Despite being so tall, he seems to easily shrink in his seat. He stuck his hands between his legs. He opened his mouth, as if to reply, but he simply just closed his mouth and bit his bottom lip.

The two women looked at each other, unsure how to go about this next. With Ruby's encouragement, Mary Margaret sat across the skittish boy. Ruby noted how his eyes seem to dart between the two of them and look everywhere. When Mary Margaret went to offer a kind hand to him, he flinched, pulling slightly back and sank further into the seat.

Maybe this wasn't a good idea, but it was too late now.

"Ben, I uh…understand that Ruby here found you sleeping on the bench. We were wondering if maybe you can tell us why?"

Hazel eyes looked at them, bouncing between the two women like little tennis balls trapped in his head. When they stopped, Ben wasn't focused on them, but rather the door that was beyond Mary Margaret's shoulder. He bit his bottom lip again and Ruby let out a sigh, trying not to sound frustrated.

"We just want to help, Ben," Ruby tried to reassure him. She went to place a reassuring hand, only to have him inch out of the way. Realizing that wouldn't work, Ruby pulled her hand back and placed them on her apron. "It was really cold outside. And I'm sure your grandfather's worried about you."

His head snapped towards her so quickly she was surprised she didn't hear a bone crack. His breathing hitched and he tried to move, but he didn't seem to want to push them out of the way. Ruby took this as a sign that Ben wanted to get out of the diner, like something was after him. But Mary Margaret attempted to calm him down.

"Hey, hey, it's ok. You're not in trouble," she told him. "We're just worried for your safety, Ben."

Her gentle tone and natural calming nature seem to work, easing the agitated boy. Color her impressed, but Ruby could tell he was still ready to bolt.

"Ben, I know that some of the students in class have been bothering. Maybe, if we can get your grandfather in and we can all sit and talk," Mary Margaret suggestion. Ben visibly gulped.

The bell over the door jingled and Ruby immediately went into waitress mode, greeting the new customer with as much enthusiasm as per usual. Which let's be honest, it wasn't much. They were lucky enough to even get a half-hearted greeting.

However, seeing Moe French come in and look around the diner like some sort of hawk, Ruby regretted drawing the man's attention. He came towards them like a shark and his prey seem to shrink even further.

"There you are. What's this I hear about you skipping classes, boy?"

Ruby frowned at the man's tone. She straightened herself up to say something, but Mary Margaret, ever the peace maker, already spoke up.

"Oh! Mr. French, don't blame Benjamin he-"

The man snorted angrily and Ruby had half a nerve to call him out for interrupted Mary Margaret like that.

"Then who's to blame? Hm? He's a grown boy. Needs to take responsibility for his actions."

As he roughly grabbed the boy, Ruby found herself standing up straighter. Somewhere deep down in her, something stirred. Like a beast, rearing its head and ready to bear its fangs at this man. If he could even be called that. But, as quickly as that feeling came, it went away. Like some outside force pushing her back and telling her to just stand there and watch as Moe dragged Ben out of the diner by the collar of his shirt.

Mary Margaret stood up, trying to get Moe to stop, but the words just didn't seem to come out. They were left just standing there, watching as the boy nearly stumbled over his own two feet as he was pulled out of the diner. Frustrated, Ruby let out a snarl before going to keep up Ben's discarded food.

God she hated this town.

* * *

What are the odds that the VK's believe Ben's the Dark One?

Don't forget to leave a review and let me know what you think.


	5. The Miner's Day Curse

**Sloth: **Hello everyone! Here it is, the final part of the prologue! After this, things will roughly follow the canon of OUAT. and by roughly I mean use major plot points with tweaks. Maybe some characters will appear where they shouldn't. Some plots might get dropped, others expanded. But over all, it's gunna a fun, angsty ride for everyone involved. Mostly Ben.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Five. The Miner's Day Curse**

_Rumpelstiltskin's Castle. Many Years Ago_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"I am the ruler of this castle. The Dark One. Now I demand you return my cup and then leave my home."

There was a moment of silence at the words sunk in. This was the infamous Beast of the Dark Castle. The darkest of sorcerers who brought fear into everyone who came across him.

The VK laughed.

"Ah..uh…Stop, laughing. I'm serious!"

Carlos wheezed with laughter, using the table to hold himself up. Jay's boisterous laugh echoed through the dining hall. When the boy tried to demand them to stop, Jay just laughed harder. Evie had the decency to at least laugh politely, trying to hold it in by placing her hand over her mouth. Mal however didn't have about the kid's feelings. She not only laughed openly, but she purposefully held the tea cup precariously.

"You're not the Dark One," she stated as the laughter died down. The boy looked offended.

"Yes I am," he said, his voice cracking slightly as he tried to reaffirm his lie. "I am Rumpelstiltskin and –"

"Rumpelstiltskin's a creepy old man who's locked up in Snow White's dungeon," Mal interrupted with a smirk. The boy faltered and Mal knew she had him.

"H-he's locked in…I mean. No, I'm not."

She walked up to him, getting close in his personal bubble. Though he was a good seven or so inches taller, he took a step back. She allowed the cup to swing gently on her finger. His eyes lingered on it, giving her all the leverage she needed. "My mother happens to be one of the darkest sorceresses in the realm. And she loves to gossip about her enemies. So trust me when I say, Rumpelstiltskin's locked away and he's never coming back."

The boy blinked and Mal pressed forward.

"So how's about you tell us who you _really _are…or," She tossed the cup at Jay, who caught it effortlessly. After all the times they spent together, she could always count on him to make a catch. And tossing the cup definitely stirred the little prince as he tried to grab at it, but it was far out of his reach. Mal stepped in his way, before he could go after Jay. "You can pick up the pieces of that little cup. So, do we have a deal?"

The boy frowned, biting his bottom lip before sighing. "Do you promise to give it back?"

Mal just twirled a strand of hair. "Jay."

On command, Jay lifted the cup and prepared to smash it against the table.

"No no no! Ok, ok! I accept. I-I'm not the Dark One."

"We figured," Carlos snorted.

"I…My name is Ben. But this_ is_ my castle."

"Smashing the cup," Jay announced and the boy – this "Ben" - freaked out.

"No, stop! It's true!" Ben shouted, reached out past Mal to get the cup, but the dragoness held him back.

"Step back, Princey," she told him. "This is the Dark One's castle, not your's."

"It _is_. The Dark One's…" he sighed, scratching the back of his head in quite the endearing manner. He muttered something under his breath that had Mal rolling her eyes. She turned to Jay and he playfully started to just juggle the cup. Despite how reckless he looked, Jay was a master of the slight of hand. He easily made it look like he was fumbling the cup when he had perfect control of it. As the cup bounced between his fingers, Ben finally blurted, "He's my father."

Mal turned. "Jay."

"No! Look, I can prove it. Just…Just give me a chance," he pleaded. He looked like an overgrown puppy honestly. She rolled her eyes and felt like she was going to regret what she going to do. She looked him, enjoying the little panic that flashed across his eyes.

"You get, one chance."

He gulped and nodded. "Follow me, Dearie"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_Storybrooke. Miner's Day. 2002_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The festivities were in full swing. Little booths had filled the town square and everyone in town happily went to each both to either play the little games or buy some of the food. Everyone was in high spirits. The Mayor strolled through the crowd, but rather than patronize the people who got in her way, she stopped at each booth, showing off her little prince as her daughter took pictures of their happy little family.

In one booth, Mal and her foster mom were busy selling some treats. The two women worked in synchronicity, moving around each other or exchanging food like trained performers. There were even little moments where she would flirt with Doug, who was manning the ring toss booth. Jane was helping Astrid try and sell candles for the convent's fundraiser. They didn't seem to make much. As he watched Carlos and Jay leave the booth, Ben put down the flowers he was supposed to deliver to the Mayor's office.

As he watched citizens walk by, part of him wanted to go over and buy a candle. Maybe his grandfather would like one. Grampa Moe had been a little stressed out lately. They were having trouble selling flowers this year due to the harsh weather. And Mr. Gold had been circling around their shop, eyeing the truck like a predatory hawk. The man's presence near the shop had put his grandfather on edge. And when his grandfather is on edge, he doesn't think. Ben rubbed his stomach, swallowing.

If he was going to be honest with himself, he shouldn't have tested Grampa Moe. He had to be a good boy. Go to school, get home on time, and get to work. Just three simple little things. And he tried, he really did. But maybe he should have tried harder. And what Grampa Moe did, he did because he cared. That's what he told Ben. And he was family. Family cared about each other.

Right?

Smiling to himself at the thought of his grandfather's happy face, Ben made the choice to stop and buy a candle. Jane looked up and the younger girl stuttered a greeting. "H-Hi. W-would y-you l-like a c-candle? Only f-five dollars."

He nodded, trying to smile politely.

With the purchase made, Ben turned back to where he had set down a bouquet of flowers. Only someone else grabbed it first. He froze at the sight of Gil and his football cohorts.

"Aw, for me?" the taller boy gasped in mock delight. Gil's friends laughed.

The color drained from his face and Ben tried to reach for the bouquet. Gil and his cronies laughed as they decided to play monkey in the middle. Now, Ben wasn't short by any means. But the problem was he slouched a lot. It helped him go unnoticed. But for some reason he just couldn't understand, Gil spot Ben out of a crowd. He reached for them.

"Aw, what's wrong? You want these?" Gil asked as he held the flowers out of reach. Ben nodded his head frantically. He just wanted the flowers back so he could do the job Grampa Moe trusted to him. He couldn't screw up again. Not again.

"Ok, just tell us to stop," Gil said as he held the flowers impossibly high. Ben froze. That...that wasn't fair. "Come on, Benny-boo. If we're bothering you, just tell us to stop."

He trembled inside. He tried to go for the flowers, but Gil laughed and tossed them to one of his team mates, who tossed it to their third member. Ben just ended up embarrassing himself by spinning in a circle for their amusement. They laughed just laughed at him. They always laughed at him.

He could feel his eyes sting and he had to shut them. Men don't cry, Grampa Moe told him. Men don't cry.

"f…f…"

"Huh? What was that, Benny-boo?"

His lips trembled. The sound bounced around his throat and barely reached his tongue. He tried to tell them off; to get them to leave him alone. But all he did was make a barely audible sound that was reminiscent of a dying motorboat. It made them laugh harder.

"Speak up, Ben, can't hear ya."

"Oh man, what a freak."

"Just like his mom."

Men don't cry. Men don't cry. He repeated Grampa Moe's mantra. Even as the taunts grew louder and the laughter grew hardier. Men don't cry. Men don't cry. The taunts kept coming. Even as he covered his ears. Freak. Weirdo. Orphan. He had heard them all before, but that didn't make it hurt any less. Why were they so mean to him? What did he even do?

The flowers smacked him in the face. The shock of it had him reeling, flinching so bad that he threw himself to the floor, gaining more laughter from the jocks. They laughed, even as they walked over him. Gil stepping on the flowers just for the hell of it.

No one even bother to look at him. People just walked by as Gil and his crew left him there. He sat there for some time, biting his bottom lip. The mantra repeated in his head. Men don't cry. Men don't cry. Men…. don't…

Ben drew in a shaky breath. He stood up, his legs giving way slightly. The flowers were an afterthought. He stumbled, trying as best he could to hide his face as it turned red. As the tears blurred his vision, he stumbled and nearly ran into someone.

"Beg your pardon, young man. But I suggest watching where it is you're going."

On a normal day, that voice would make him freeze in place. It was a voice that brought dread to anyone in town. He locked eyes with Mr. Gold for just a second. But it seemed like a second was all it took for the man's features to soften slightly.

"Is there something the matter?" the man asked. He reached for Ben and the boy flinched. No, he didn't need this. He just needed to get away. He was running. His legs moving before his body could. He didn't know where he was going, but he just needed to get away. From all this. From everything. He just wanted everything to stop and just go back to when things were simple. Back when his mom wasn't losing her mind and would hold him and sing to him. Back when it was just the two of them and not this bull shit of a town breathing down his neck.

He ran without thinking.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Gold was a busy man. But even he knew when to just enjoy himself. Miner's Day was one of the few town events he went to. Mostly he just walked around, got something greasy from the booths, mock the nun's for their failed fundraising, and then called it a day. But it would see today would be different.

As he hobbled into the square, some ruffian had the nerve to stumble into. If he hadn't been using his trusty cane, he could have easier hurt himself. He scowled at the youth. Children now a days didn't seem to respect their elders. His immediate response was to reprimand the boy.

"Beg your pardon, young man," he scowled. "But I suggest watching where it is you're going."

But any ill will he had dissipated as soon as the boy looked up at him. The first thing he noted were the boy's eyes. The hazel orbs were wet and fresh tears continued to stream down. His face was red and his bottom lip looked raw and tender, as if someone had been chewing on them for a while. And yet, there was something about this boy. A face from long ago. He couldn't quite place it, but there was something in the back of his head telling him he should know who he was looking at.

"Is there something the matter?" he asked. Mind you, Gold was not a nurturing man. Being gentle was not a part of his dictionary. And yet, he couldn't help but reach down to steady the boy. That would seem to be the wrong response, as the boy flinched hard enough to create a bit of distance between them. Usually, Gold would relish in the fear he created. But seeing this boy flinch created a knot in his stomach. As he watched the boy run off, that dread only grew.

Ah well. Gold was sure the boy will be fine.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Dinner was a quiet affair as usual. After getting back, Ben had time to calm his nerves before he got dinner ready. As the day came to an end, Grampa Moe had returned. His cheeks were a little flushed and Ben was happy he made his grandfather's favorite for dinner. As they ate, he noticed his grandfather was on his three drink. He just had to hold out until bed time.

Unfortunately, before they could even finish their meal, they received a phone call. Then next thing he knew, he was letting out a squeak of pain as his back slammed against the wall.

"You stupid boy. Do you realize how important that delivery was? What do you have to say for yourself, Boy?"

Ben quivered as he looked up at his grandfather.

"Of course you, bloody won't say anything. Ye never do," Moe sneered.

Ben opened his mouth to apologize. But as always, his voice failed him. It didn't even reach his throat.

"We needed that money to pay off the truck!" Moe reminded him. "Now Gold's going to take it. We'll never be able to do our deliveries! You've ruined us!"

Ben shook his head. It was just a mistake.

He let out a raspy gasp as Moe grabbed him by the collar and started drag him across the room. Panic started to fill his veins as they started to walk the all too familiar path. He shook his head, making inaudible pleas. He grabbed the corner of the door frame and halted their steps.

"What do you think you're doing?"

He didn't have an answer. Grampa Moe pulled harder and Ben stumbled and fell. But he endured the pain. Anything was better than going in there.

"Get up! Don't you understand? You've got to take responsibility for your actions, Boy. This is the only way you'll learn."

Ben tried to make his plea, but Grampa Moe was bigger. Stronger. He grabbed Ben and pulled him up despite the boy's struggling. He didn't want to go back in. He was dragged down the hall, towards the door. His struggles grew more frantic. He'd been good. He did everything right. Everything his grandfather wanted of him. It was just one mistake. He was sorry. He really was.

The door to the linen closet was unbolted and opened, darkness greeting them. On instinct, Ben stupidly placed his foot against the doorframe. It gave him a few seconds of reprieve.

But only a few.

"What do you think you're doing?" Grampa Moe asked, his voice low and steady. Ben looked at him, wide eyed. He didn't know. He just didn't want to go inside. "This is your punishment. Now. Get. In!"

Blinded by rage, Moe pried Ben away from the doorframe and hurled the boy as hard as he could.

His head cracked against the doorframe.

He fell to the floor unmoving.

"Ben? Ben. Get up, Boy. Be…oh god. Oh god, what…look what you've made me done. Why couldn't you have just do as you were told?"

.

.

.

It would have been easy to get rid of the body. Simply toss him in the lake and make it look like the world had finally gotten to the boy. Everyone would believe it. No one would question it.

But in Storybrooke, things were never that easy. The curse that held the town would do everything it could to ensure its caster's happiness. No force in the world short of the Savior could stop it. No one was allowed to die unless the queen wished it. So as the midnight came, time came to a standstill. Magic pulsed through the town, turning back the hands of time. As everyone that had been brought over by the curse went back. Back until the year was redone. Subtle things changed. The queen would find Henry safe and sound in his crib by her side. Evie's pictures of the boy remained and the town would all know of the boy.

But other things…things that didn't relate to the queen would remain. Ingrid would get a knock on the door and be introduced to her new foster-daughter, Mal. Carlos would once again be accosted by Pongo, leading weeks of therapy. Jay would continue volunteering at the hospital. Mary Margaret would visit John Doe in the morning before class. Mr. Gold would open his shop, despite wanting nothing more than to mourn the loss of his wife and unborn child. And Ben would wake up locked in the linen closest, praying Grampa Moe would let him out soon.

And it would be the same. Over and over for the next 11 years until a yellow bug drove into town.

* * *

**Sloth:** Emma has arrived in Storybrooke and, if it wasn't clear before, the clock's now ticking. There's no reset now, so if she can't change fate, then Ben dies on Miner Day. dun dun dun!

And the next chapter might take a while to come out. I've been jumping around chapters and haven't exactly written chapter six...so patients.


	6. The Greatest Treasure

**Sloth: **Hello everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful week! Me? Oh it was fine. I was just freaking out about the Descendants 3 teaser! -rolls around while making incoherent noises- Ahem. Yes. Nothing special to write home about.

Anywho...Here comes the meat of the story. And while I've already said while the Storybrooke portions of the story will follow a flow similar to the first season, nothing on the show has been set in stone in the universe. And while some characters may appear OOC, remember some people's personalities were changed due to being influenced by others. I mean, seriously, can anyone else imagine Ben being the same if he's been raised around a manic imp like Rumpelstiltskin?

Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Six. The Greatest Treasure**

_Storybrooke, October 24__th__, 2011_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Emma. What a lovely name," he complimented. It was amazing what a single name could go. With just one word, one simple name, his world changed. In an instant, he was no longer Mr. Gold, local pawn broker and man who owned the entire land that made up Storybrooke. But rather, standing there before the three women, was none other than Rumpelstiltskin. The one and only Dark One. And yet, despite his reborn into this world, he kept calm. Even as Granny Lucas held out the wad of cash she owed him.

"It's all here."

"Of course it is," he said. Because it always was. There was no need to count. Before he departed, he smiled at Emma. "Enjoy your stay. Emma."

He stepped out into the even. Despite walking this route every day for the last twenty-eight years, today was the first time he walked it as Rumpelstiltskin. This was the first time the Dark One got to experience the cool Maine air. The crisp scent of fall and the lack of magic in the air chilled his bones. He took it all in for the first time and exhaled with a satisfied sigh.

It had all gone to plan.

Almost all to plan.

Though the exchange from Mr. Gold to Rumpelstiltskin was quick, he was still able to scan through his cursed memories. Every bit of the past twenty-eight years was as fresh as morning tea. And realizing there was something crucial missing, Rumpelstiltskin made quick strides for his shop.

He had a son to find.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_Rumpelstiltskin's Castle. Many Years Ago_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The Dark Castle was large and imposing on the outside. But on the inside, the extravagant walls and limestone halls expanded for much further than possible. Mal was sure that they had climbed up higher than the three stories that was advertised outside. She could see the horizon through one of the large imposing window panes. The sun was setting, casting a blood orange glow over the mountains. With the brilliant contrast against the ash green trees of the Dark Forest below, it was quite beautiful. Not as bone chillingly lovely as the view from the Forbidden Fortress, but still nice. She could definitely see the appeal.

"So how'd you do that indivisibility thing?" Carlos asked, drawing Mal's attention.

With the cup held hostage in her hand, she followed behind Ben as he led them to this "proof" that he was the Dark One's son. To be perfectly honest, she didn't care if was telling the truth or not. She was more interest in the prospect of this so called son of the Dark One. The Dark One was powerful and his power reached across all the realms. Even locked up, the rumor mill was buzzing that the Dark One was still influencing things that happened in the Enchanted Forest. And there was really no way of stopping him short of finding his elusive dagger and taking command of him.

But if this boy really was the Dark One's son, she could use this to their advantage. There had to be some sort of sentiment between the two, otherwise why keep the boy? He was dressed too nice to be some sort of servant boy. His attire was too extravagant and regal. And he definitely knew his way around. Not to mention what he did with the furniture.

"Yeah. Do you have magic too?" Evie asked as came to Mal's side.

"Actually, it was an invisibility cloak," Ben answered as he held up a bundled up cloak. It shimmered in the light, fading in and out. "My father got it from one of his trips to some other realm."

"Hmm, but you didn't exactly answer the question," Mal spoke up. "I'm going to assume if you're the son of the Dark One, you must be powerful yourself."

Ben chuckled as the complement and Mal raised an eyebrow. "I don't."

"But what about the angry wardrobe?" Jay piped in as he brought of the rear, his eyes scanning for valuables.

"Faith, trust, and fairy dust," Ben joked. "My father has all sorts of magical items here. I know how to _use_ magical items. I just don't have any magic of my own."

"Whoa, hold up," Mal held up her hand, causing them all to stop. "You say you're the Dark One's son, and you _don't_ have magic. Y-you're not serious, are you? We're the kids of lesser magic users and wehave magic. Hell, Carlos is Cruella's son and even _he_ has magic."

"I can speak dog."

"Point is, how can the supposed son of the most powerful villain in the realm not have magic?"

Ben had the nerve, the actual nerve, to smile and chuckle in her face. Like he wasn't at all worried about the angry dragoness in front of him. It kind of ticked her off.

"I'm unlucky I guess. Now do you want to see the proof or do you want to talk about my magical impotence?" He asked as he pointed behind him. He turned without even waiting for an answer. And seeing as how he didn't make for a grab at his precious little cup, he was either confident in his little scheme, or he was stupidly naïve to trust them. Either way, Mal was going to see where this leads.

Sharing a glance with her friends, Mal walked forward and they followed. They finally came to a stop at a set of double doors with a beautiful carving of roses on them. They didn't look any different from any other door. Except for the small detail where instead of a door handle, it simply had a spindle needle sticking out.

"This is one of my father's vaults. It's protect by blood magic and only his blood can open the door. Not even a dragon can get through these doors." He told them. With a charming little smile he tilted his head at the door. Mal stared, wondering where he got off with the show boating. It was cute at first, but now it was annoying. Still, looking at the doors, she could feel the magic coming off them. It was like standing next to a fire place, warm yet if she stood too close for too long, she'd burn herself. And a brief glance told her she didn't have to worry about the all too familiar sleeping curse. Blood had been used in the carvings and the spindle reeked with ancient blood.

The Dark One's blood.

She took a step, stopping only when Evie placed a tentative hand on her shoulder.

"M."

"I got this. Besides, if it's a trap, Jay can go street rat on him."

"Yeah, I can."

"Still," Evie looked between the Ben and Mal. She leaned forward, whispering so that only Mal's ears could hear her. "What happens if he's telling the truth?"

"Then it should make our job easier…and give us a little leverage." With a confident twirl, Mal locked eyes with Ben before striding up to the door. "Ok, Princey. Let's see just how good your security system is."

Without taking her eyes off him, she allowed her index to prick itself against the spindle. It barely stung. And as her blood dropped from her finger tip, the doors glowed brilliant red. While shimmering rubies. As the light died, metal bars appeared across the doors with a loud slam. Ben chuckled and Mal glared at him.

"Oh, like you can do better?"

Ben just turned and pricked himself, his blood falling back down onto the magic spindle. The bars receded back into the ground. The aura around the doors faded and the wooden doors opened slowly with aching creaks. Ben stood proudly before the opening, but even with him in front of them, they VK could see the massive interior of the vault. The magical essence from hundreds of magical items wafting out of the room like hot steam. And yet, Ben remained unfazed.

"I told you. Only his blood can open it. And I _am_ his flesh and blood. Satisfied?"

They stared. As much as she wanted to make up excuses, Mal was good at sensing magic and spellwork. One glance and she could tell you if an apple would put you into a sleeping curse or if you'd be biting into nightshade dipped fruit. That door did have some serious blood magic on it and it disappeared the moment Ben's blood fell on it. There was no denying it now. With a huff, Mal presenting the cup as promised.

"Here's your stupid cup."

Ben happily took the cup back, holding it delicately in his hands. "Thank you."

"You know I could have just smashed it," Mal told him in an attempt to wipe that little smile off his face.

"Mmm, no you wouldn't have."

"And what makes you so sure?"

"My mother always said that there is good in everyone. You just have to look. And I can tell that under all that bravado - and the blatant trespassing - that you've got good in you. All of you do."

"That sounds fake," Mal shot back.

"Hey, worked for my parents so…" he turned to close the doors, but was stopped by Evie.

"W-wait! This vault…would your father store hearts in it? Enchanted hearts? Sent by the Queen Regina?"

In her little battle of wits with Ben, Mal almost forgot why they were here. She stood behind her friend, as did Carlos and Jay. They had come to the castle on a mission and they weren't going to leave until they accomplished it. Besides, Ben had foolishly told them he didn't have magic, and they did. So if worse came to worse they had the advantage.

"Um…I don't know," Ben answered. "I'm only allowed in this vault because it's not dangerous."

Mal snorted. "Dangerous?"

"There are things even my father won't touch."

"Please," Evie stepped forward and Mal allowed her to. If the princess was good at one thing, it was appealing to people's hearts. And not in the "I'm-going-to-rip-your-heart-out-of-your-chest" kind of way. Evie had been raised to be a perfect little princess and the girl knew exactly how to use that to her advantage. Even now, as Mal hung back with Carlos and swatted as Jay's greedy hands, she could tell Evie was slipping into princess mode. How the hell she managed to make friends with such a deceptive little witch, Mal will never know. But she wouldn't exchange it for anything.

"Please," Evie because, sniffing just right to make it seem like she was going to cry. "We've just been traveling for so long. And I – we – need to find this heart. It belonged to someone we truly care about. If we don't get it back to them, they could die and…I just don't know what I would do if…if"

"Oh…oh ok. Hey, don't cry…Um…I'm sorry, I don't know if it's here."

Evie let out a watery gasp that even got Mal to wonder if this was part of the act. Ben definitely fell hook line and sinker for it though.

"But, I think I got something that might help."

He went into the vault, the doors closing behind him to prevent them from following. Mal walked up and placed a hand on Evie's shoulder. "Not bad, Princess."

"I try," Evie smiled, the crocodile tears cleanly wiped away. They still came up to her, embracing Evie in a group hug. Ruse or not, they knew just how real her feelings for her true love was. They were in this together for the long haul. And not even a phony Dark One like Ben could stop them.

The doors opened and Ben walked out with a rolled up map. The map looked oriental in origin, made of several strips of bamboo and held together by thick dry canvas. He held it up with that big smile, as if they would automatically know what it was. They stared in united silence, waiting for him to explain exactly what the hell he had brought them.

"This Map of the World can lead anyone to any treasure they desire." He told them as he unrolled it to reveal…nothing. The canvas was empty. "Even if it's not in castle, this will take you to it no matter what part of the world its in."

"Are we…supposed to draw on it?" Jay asked as he looked at it.

"Just a drop of blood and the map will lead you to the object you desire."

"What is it with you and blood magic?" Carlos asked. Ben just shrugged.

"My father's the Dark One. If he's not making deals, he's drinking the blood of children."

Carlos let out a squeak as he held Dude tightly.

"That was a quip," Ben laughed. Mal rolled her eyes, tired of this already. She reached for the map, only to have Ben pull it out of her reach. "Whoa…sorry, but I can't just let you guys take this."

"I'm sorry, but didn't you get that for us?"

"No, I said I had something that could help. I didn't say I was going to give it to you."

The little bastard.

"So you're just going to let this poor, innocent princess leave without the heart of her true love?" Jay asked as he placed his hands on Evie's shoulders. Evie started to unleash the crocodile tears.

"Oh Jay," she whimpered, turning dramatically into Jay's arms.

"Hey…I'm not…Look, if I just let you guys leave with this, my father would tan my hide."

"Your father's locked up in a dungeon," Mal countered. He frowned and Mal's smirk grew wider in satisfaction.

"It's a matter of principal. Nothing leaves this castle. Not unless someone makes a deal first," his eyes broke contact with Mal and turned to Evie. The blue haired princess recoiled, giving Ben a disgusted look at the prospect of a deal with anyone. Jay held her protective, glaring at Ben.

"A deal. Yeah. He's definitely the Dark One's kid," Carlos muttered from behind the group.

"And what kind of deal?" Mal asked, immediately going on the defense. "Gold? No, your father makes gold. Let me guess, you want to lock her up in a dungeon until we return with the map, right?"

"Actually, the opposite," Ben said. "You guys take me with you."

That threw them all off. He wanted to go with them? Before they could fully process it, Ben held the map open towards Evie.

"Do we have a deal?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_Storybrooke, October 24__th__, 2011_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Despite what it was called, the Land Without Magic _did_ have magic. It just wasn't in the air like in the Enchanted Forest. Magic could exist in this realm, you just needed to look in the right place. And while Storybrooke was essentially void of any magic, there was one place that held magic. The objects carried over from the Enchanted Forest still held their power. Any enchantment they once held was still there, just…unpredictable. They needed a delicate touch to work without burning to a crisp.

A delicate touch Rumpelstiltskin was more than happen to give them.

Especially now.

It simply took a single drop of blood onto the Map of the World to tell him where to go. Rumpel hobbled his way through the town as fast as he could until he stood across 1991 Provincial Street. He watched the house in silence. Even across the street he could see the boy cleaning the dishes as Moe French was passed out drunk in the living room. His fingers gripped his cane tighter.

Ben – his little Benedict – was cleaning dishes for _that_ man. That bastard of a man who was the reason his Belle was gone from the world. And now Maurice had her son. It didn't make sense. Ben was supposed to be safe with him. Safe and together, just like they had planned.

"I'm sorry, Belle," he whispered to the heavens above. His eyes were still trained on the boy, seeing Belle in every movement Ben made. From the way he washed the dishes to how he even brushed aside his hair in the same manner as her. Ben was every bit of his mother, even cursed. "I couldn't protect our son."

He turned away, finally tearing himself away from the last shred of humanity he had in this world. He lost one son, he would not lose another.

"But I assure you. I'm going to get him back."

And gods be with anyone who dare stand in his way.


	7. Daughters

**Sloth:** Hello, everyone! Boy howdy did this chapter go through a fair bit of revisions. I finally settled on finally getting to Emma's POV. But I just can't have Emma. So get ready for a fun little meeting.

I also totally forgot to make the time jumps more coherent. So, for the sake of this story, the adventures of the VK and Ben take place 3 months before the Dark Curse is cast.

And if you like where this is going, let me know. But without further ado, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Seven. Daughters **

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_Storybrooke, October 27__th__, 2011_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

It was a bright and earlier Thursday morning when Emma Swan was properly introduced to the third member of the Mills family.

The blond haired woman definitely had an interesting past couple of days. She met her son, Henry, who she had given up for adoption ten years ago. And while she did the responsible thing and returned Henry to his adopted mother, she found herself staying in the quaint little Storybrooke. Mostly because Henry's adopted mother got on her nerves. Emma had spent years refining that little gift of hers and Regina was causing all sorts of alarms to go off in Emma's head.

It really didn't help when Regina spent the entirety of Emma's second day in Storybrooke pissing Emma off. She could forgive the unmistakable threat in the form of a fruit basket. She could get over the shitty frame job. But to deliberately have Henry walk in on a conversation and make it seem like Emma thought Henry was crazy? Emma really wanted to know what made Regina into such a…well a bitch.

And Emma really didn't want to think about Regina's shady timing with Katheryn Nolan. Things didn't add up. Every time Regina talked it was like the woman was spewing lie after lie while smiling like an evil nanny.

But it wasn't Regina who greeted Emma that morning. Rather, her comfortable first night sleep in Mary Margaret's loft was interrupted by a tiny Regina-look-a-like. They shared the same black hair, though the girl's hair was much longer. They both exuded this regal and sophisticated aura through their posture. Though where Regina acted like a self-righteous drama queen, this girl held herself like a princess who knew she was in over her head, but was still going down fighting. The young girl was even about to make her school uniform looks as neat and pressed as one of Regina's outfits.

"Good morning, Ms. Swan. Coffee?"

And Emma already liked this girl way more than Regina. Who needed fruit when you could be offered the sweet nectar of the gods?

"Uh…sure…uh?"

"Evie Mills. I'm Henry's sister."

"Oh. Uh. Well, nice to meet you Evie," Emma greeted as she accepted the coffee. "Would you like to come in or…?"

The raven haired girl peered into the loft and Emma could see the genuine intrigue and awe in the girl's eyes. It was brief, but it was there. As Evie composed herself, trying to pat down her school uniform to appear more mature and professional, Emma could definitely Regina in the young girl. Which definitely meant they were biologically related.

"Actually I'm not here long. I'm just here to drop off Henry."

Emma raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What? Your mother's actually trusting me with him?" Evie's expression faltered and Emma raised an

eyebrow. "She doesn't know he's here, does she?"

"No. And for my sake, let's hope she doesn't find out." Though the last part was said quietly to herself, Evie's muttering made Emma curious. Evie's tone definitely said the girl was up to something. "I'll be frank Ms. Swan. I don't trust you."

"Ok?"

"But…Henry really wants to know where he came from. And he'll always be my top priority. So, for now, you've my permission to walk Henry to the bus stop."

If the words were said by anyone else, Emma would have closed the door in their face. Or give them a biting retort. But Emma could tell that the words were unnatural for Evie. As if she was trying to come off as stand-offish or intimidating, but couldn't do it because it wasn't in her nature. Yet there was a strong, protective tone in her voice when she talked about Henry. So, Emma gave Evie a smile.

"You've got my word, Ms. Mills. I'll get him to the bus stop safely."

"Good. Thank you, Ms. Swan." Evie turned, only to stop and turn around. What she said next, she said with a Regina-like confidence. "Oh. And if you hurt him again, I will be pressing charges."

As Evie left with a confident stride, Henry came stampeding up the stairs. For the briefest, miniscule of a second, Emma swore they high fived each other.

"Hi, Emma."

"What? Did you two plan this?" She asked with a chuckle.

"No. Evie's just protective. She means well."

"You mean like your mom?"

Henry scoffed. "No. She's not evil," he said as he plowed passed her to look around her new home. She was worried he was going to go after Mary Margaret's juice when he started to wander near the fridge. Thinking quickly, she asked,

"And if she's not evil, then who is she?"

"You really want to know?"

"Well, why now? You seem to like her more than Regina. Why?"

The smile on Henry's face was slightly predatory. Like a hawk that spotted a wounded prey. Suddenly Emma was regretting asking.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_The Enchanted Forest. 3 months before the Dark Curse_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Stop messing with your hair," Evie scolded as she swatted Ben's hand.

"Sorry. This just feels weird," he replied as he tried not to adjust the beanie that had been placed on his head. Evie could see Mal roll her eyes and the princess tried not to laugh. Personally she found Ben's naivety kind of endearing. He was like a taller, a little more clueless Carlos. And who wouldn't want more Carloses in their lives? Plus, he was totally rocking the outfit she had conjured up.

The blue leather not only complemented his skin tone, but matched perfectly with Evie's own blue outfit and didn't clash with anyone else's. With the beanie on top of his head, Ben looked less royal and more street rat. Which was exactly what they needed. If he was going to tag along with them, they really didn't need to look like they had just kidnapped some prince from some unknown kingdom. They already got into trouble for just being villain kids, they didn't need any more drama.

Like the drama Evie was sure they were going to get once word got out about what they were doing. It was one thing to go and raid the Dark One's castle, but to kidnap his son? They might as well just stick the knife in their chests before they presented themselves to Rumpelstiltskin. But is it really a kidnapping if Ben practically through himself into their arms?

The deal was simple. He gives them the map and he gets to tag along. According to him, Ben's never even been beyond the walls that surrounded the place. Even now, as they stood before the gates that led into the big wide world, Ben looked hesitant to take a step forward. Evie figured that distracting him with "how to act like a villain" would get him to loosen up and be comfortable enough to take the big leap. It was working…even if Ben looked like a scarecrow with two left feet and no rhythm.

"Ok, now, lean back," she instructed.

"Like this?" he leaned far enough to lean against Jay, who helpfully set Ben up at the right angle.

"You need to nod your head," Jay added as he walked over to Evie's side. "Like this." As Ben mimicked Jay, he seemed to relax.

"Uh, you need to not stare," Carlos added helpfully. Ben blinked and tried to act like he wasn't paying them any attention. It came off as if he looked constipated. Mal snorted as his attempted and leaned into Evie's ear.

"He needs a whole lot of help."

Evie nodded, but kept a smile on her face so that Ben at least thought they approved. It was all about confidence and so long as he thought he had it, he could do it. Upon seeing her "approving" nod, Ben gave the biggest smile. She didn't have the heart to break it to him.

"Alright, I think I got this," he smiled back as he took a few steps forward. He paused at the gates. They watched as he hesitated. Just when they thought he was going to need a bit of dragon fire motivation, Ben took a step forward into the world. Then another. And another before turning around and smiling at them. "I did it!"

"Congratulations," Mal cheered with a smile that didn't quite reach her eye. For as long as they knew each other, Evie was impressed. It wasn't like Mal to sugar coat something or hide her cringe. She was about to compliment Mal's restraint when the purple haired girl quietly added, "he's so gunna get killed out there."

"Mal!"

"What? Evie, he's not your first charity case. Remember Audrey? Jane? Gil?"

"Hey, things worked out with Gil."

"Yeah, I wouldn't call joining Uma and Harry an improved life style," Mal deadpanned. "Evie, I know you're trying to be nice, but I don't want you getting your hopes up again."

"Well I've got a good feeling about this. I mean, look how happy he is," Evie said, gesturing to Ben. Who promptly fell into a hole he didn't see. As Carlos and Jay went to help their naïve tag-along, Evie flinched slightly. "That's just a minor setback."

Mal just gave a soft chuckle before following after the boys. "Well, at least we can still use him for ransom."

"Mal!"

"Hey, you really think the Dark One's not going to be pissed off we stole his kid? I'm just preparing for all the outcomes."

By the time they reached the boys, Jay and Carlos managed to haul Ben out of the hole. Despite his accident, he still had a fair bit of optimism. "I fell in a hole." He said. Evie wasn't sure if the expression on his face was because he found the whole thing exciting or if he was just making fun of himself. Either way, she found it quite endearing.

"Yes you did, Benny-boo," Mal teased. "But try not to do that the entire trip to…Evie where are we going exactly?"

Right. The reason they came here. She pulled out the Map of the World from her bag. She had used it earlier inside and it gave them a clear indication that Dopey's heart wasn't in the castle. At first, her heart fell at the discovery. She had been so sure that it would have been held here. But it would seem that they were fortunate enough that Rumpelstiltskin didn't toss the heart into another world or something. Unrolling it, the blood red geography told her where they needed to go.

They all crowded, all five of them bumping each other's head as they peered at the map. The map showed the realm, everything from the enchanted forest to nearby Arendale to the north and Valencia to the east. But where everything was either a splash of red on top of aged paper, there was one place that was different. To the west, near the edge of the Forbidden Fortress and just off the coast of King Stephan's Kingdom, was a tiny spec of gold.

"I don't recognize that area," Evie frowned.

"Don't look at me. I'm still getting used to the Enchanted Forest," Jay snarked as he threw his hands up.

"It's near your mom's place Mal. You got any idea what it could be?" Carlos asked. They all turned to the dragoness. She didn't look pleased at all, hugging herself as her frowned deepened. Evie became concerned, taking a step towards Mal. But their fearless leader turned down the approach with a shake of the head.

"It's ok. It's just…That's the Fairy Graveyard."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_Storybrooke, October 27th, 2011_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Emma frowned at the tale Henry was telling her as they walked to the school bus. When Henry had told her that Evie was part of a different fairy tale, Emma was skeptical. She only went along because the story of Snow White in Henry's book was a lot less Disney. It was nowhere near Grimm's brother's dark, but still not all singing animals and what not. The best way to describe it was the three musketeers and D'Artagnan. If they were the children of evil villains. It didn't make sense, but Henry just went on with so much excitement as he explained the story, Emma didn't have the heart to tell him to stop. So, she humored him.

"Wouldn't it be an Elephant Graveyard?"

"What?" Henry asked, looking up.

"Just thought, hey, Elephant Graveyard. Disney. You know?"

"Like in Lion King?"

"Yeah. Like Lion King."

"Lion King's just a movie, Emma. This was real," he said matter of factly, as if _she_ was the crazy one. She didn't know if that was endearing or annoying. Maybe a little bit of both. She just ruffled his hair.

"Right. Because evil curses. Well, how about for now, we shelve the Story of Princess Evie and you enjoy school," she told him as they came up to the bus stop. Henry sighed and tried to protest. But she wasn't going to fall for those doe eyes of his. "Hey. I promised her I'd get you to school."

"Technically you said you'd take me to the bus stop. Not to school," he retorted with a big smile. She was suddenly reminded of someone else who gave her that same stupid grin.

"You _were_ listening in."

"Duh."

"Go."

"Fine. But we'll talk later."

Henry climbed up the steps into bus. Emma stood there, following his movements from the moment he left her side to the moment his sat down in a window seat closest to her. She was torn between finding it the most adorable thing ever, and wanting to punch the nearest…anything. Henry was like a tiny, happy, and innocent Neal, but with Emma's spunk and – unfortunately – Regina's wit. God help the world when the kid becomes an adult.

As the bus drove off, Emma waved good bye. A flash of black and blond hairs grew Emma's attention across the street, but she saw nothing. Thinking maybe she was still sleep deprived, she decided now was a good time to just go back to the loft and crash for a bit long.

Well, it would have been if Graham didn't choose that exact moment to come right in her path.

"What's with the siren?"

"It's so hard to get your attention," he laughed, his accent coming out thickly.

"All right, well, you got it. Are you arresting me again?"

"Actually I'm thanking you. For finding that coma patient. We all owe you a debt of gratitude."

"Well, what do I get? A commendation? Key to the city?"

"How about a job? Rogers is still in the hospital after the…incident. And I could really use a deputy with all their limbs attached."

Emma reared her head back at the comment. First off because she thought the sheriff station was run only by Graham. He was the only one she had seen in uniform. Now there was this other guy? Who lost a body part? What was he doing, poking the local wild life?

"Do I want to know?"

"Mmm, No. No you do not," Graham frowned. From his expression alone, Emma just let the subject drop. "So, what do you say?"

"I don't know."

"Well…then how about you think about it then?" She was handed a card despite her protest. Not that she really tried. "Stay for a while."

He left with a smile, leaving Emma alone to look at the card, contemplating the offer. She was content with her job of a bails bonds woman. And it wasn't like she stayed in one place for long. She'd learn that mistake. Getting attached left you hurt.

But then she could see the bus in the distance.

She placed the card in her wallet before going to Granny's.


	8. Chip

**Sloth: **Hello everyone! Sorry for the bit of detail with this chapter. But it went through a lot of revisions until I got something that felt right. The flashback in this one interrupts the VK plotline a bit, but I felt it felt more fitting in the over all storyline. Don't worry though. We'll return to the enchanted forest adventure of the VK and Ben soon. Just figure some plot centric backstories would be more interesting.

On that note, would anyone like a more clear fic of the Core Four and Ben's adventure in the enchanted forest? A separate adventure that still fits within this world?

Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Eight. Chip**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_Storybrooke. October 28th, 2011_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Saturdays in Storybrooke weren't all that special. Despite it being a weekend, most of the towns folks just continued on with the monotonous lives. Even with the arrival of Emma Swan, the unwitting Savior, the citizens just did what they usually did without batting much of an eyebrow.

Mary Margaret went to the hospital to spend time with David Nolan and the other patients. It was just a bonus she spent most of the day with David. Ruby was training her cousin Carlos for his shift. There wasn't much to being a bus boy, but the less time she had to deal with Granny's snippiness the better. And across town, Regina was fixing her hair in the mirror.

"I don't like these Saturday council meetings, but I won't long. I'll be back by five," she told her children who were sitting at the dining table. Both of them had been grounded. In Henry's case, he was grounded for disobeying Regina's rules and his constant sneaking. If he was going to misbehave, he was going to learn about consequences. As for Evie, she was grounded for allowing Emma to walk Henry to the bus stop, when it had been Evie's responsibility in the first place. The teen was lucky she still got to have her little costume party.

Regina was strict, but she wasn't cruel enough to destroy months of work. Well, not when it came to her children's work.

"You two remember the rules?"

"Yes on homework," Evie replied from her sketch book.

"No on TV," Henry finished without missing a beat or without missing a piece of dialogue in his comic book.

"And no leaving the house," the chorused as they looked at Regina, placing identical looks of innocence. Looks that Regina fell for hook line and sinker.

"Good," she placed a kiss and both her children, even if Henry was being a little grump about it. "Behave for your sister."

….

…..

….

But Regina wasn't the only busy parent today. Many were out and about with their children. Some going to the park, and others getting ready for the day's business. As was the case with Mal and her foster mother. The ice cream shop was cold as usual, perfect for anyone who loved the cold. And as usual, Mal was counting the register before everything was set. She looked up from her post, seeing her foster mother looking out of the window.

"You ok, Sarah?" she asked. The older blond turned away from the window.

"Hmm? Oh…I'm sorry. I must have spaced out."

"You've been doing that a lot lately," Mal mused as she looked out the window. But all she could see was Archie walking Pongo.

"Just…thinking about someone from my past is all," came the soft reply. Mal could hear the longing in Sarah's voice. Like the usually calm and collected woman was about to break into a mad dash towards something Mal couldn't see. But Sarah just took in a deep breath before turning over the shop sign to OPEN. "It's nothing to worry about now."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. It's business as usual. We've got a lot of ice cream to sell."

"Yeah. Not sure how fast carrot sherbet is going to sell," Mal chuckled, glad to see the smile return on Sarah's face. The older blond just waved a hand at Mal's comment.

"Never underestimate curiosity."

….

…..

….

In Storybrooke Medical, another set of parent and child were enjoying their day. Despite the circumstances that brought them here, Deputy Rogers wasn't going to let it ruin the time he had with his daughter. Did it suck that he was going to spend the rest of his life with one hand? Yes. But if Graham had anything to say about it, Rogers was going to get back up and get back on duty. He wasn't going to let a car accident get him down. Especially not when he had someone like Tilly in his life.

"Checkmate," she declared proudly as she enthusiastically slammed down her knight into position.

Deputy Rogers blinked and looked down at the board. Tilly wasn't lying. He let out a boisterous laugh. "Aye. Right then, another round. And this time, no handicap."

"Papa."

"What? I'm allowed to make fun of myself," he said.

"A bit on the nose don't you think?" Tilly asked before taking a bite of her orange marmalade sandwich.

"Aye. But I've never been one for subtlety. Now, are you ready for another round?"

….

…..

….

But while many parents were cherishing the time they could spend with their children, others could only wish for such an opportunity. Much like Robert Cornelius Gold. Though he much preferred to go by Rumpelstiltskin. Just like how he'd much prefer to actually talk to his son rather than watch from afar as Moe French made the boy do menial labor like a pack mule.

It was amazing how much the curse had blinded him to what was right there in front of him. He had spent years walking the same route over and over. And every weekend he would walk right pass the very same flower truck, delivering the same set of flowers to the same shop keeper. Every time he would simply ignore, or even berate, the poor diver making the deliveries. The driver, being his cursed son. A cruel fate, even for a beast like himself.

Occasional, Regina herself would find time to interfere some way or another. He recalled one time when they first arrived to this world, Regina seemed to be in a particularly nasty mood. As if to satisfy her own need to feel that she was better than him, she belittled Ben over how he was dressed. In their world, Rumpelstiltskin would have taken it as a personal attack and would have gone after Evie in retaliation. But here, cursed, he just walked by and thought that the boy indeed looked like he got his clothes from a drift store.

His own curse had ensured he was blind to the misgivings of his own child and honestly if he wasn't still sore from Ashley's assault, he would have been impressed. But his head still hurt, and his eyes still watered a little from the mace the young mother-to-be used on him. He wasn't in the mood to praise dark magic today. He needed to finally set things in motion because now that he was awake, he was fully aware of the very real deadline he had.

He remembered 28 years of Storybrooke. But the clearest memory, especially now that he was awake, were of the ones where Ben was discovered dead. He wasn't sure how it happened, but one-year Ben was just dead. Lifeless and cold and carelessly tossed into a lake like he didn't matter. And then the next day he wasn't. The curse somehow brought him back by rewinding time itself. Impressive if it didn't keep happening. It was a fixed point now. Every Miner's Day would end the same, with Ben dead and then time rewinding itself as if the events of the day didn't even happen.

It made him sick to think what would happen now. Now that the savior was here, would Ben live the same fate? Would Emma, as she was destined to do, save him?

Ben tripped and Rumple caught his son before the teen could face plant against the side walk.

"Careful there, young man. Wouldn't want to get hurt now," he advised. He tried his best to sound warm and kind. Ben shook for a bit before shakenly nodding his head in understanding. Rumple bitterly watched as his own son stumbled away from him in fear.

Oh how he was going to enjoy watching Regina's world fall apart as Emma dismantled the curse. Prying himself from the sidewalk, Rumple limped away, continuing to Mary Margaret's loft. He had a plan to initiate. Ashley did her part, and now it was time for his.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_The Enchanted Forest. The Night of Cinderella's Wedding_.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The wedding was exceptional. From the fireworks that rained through the skies to the happy crowd that danced through the courtyard. This was indeed a time for prosperity. Charming and Snow had defeated the Evil Queen, forcing her to hobble off somewhere to lick her wounds. The Queens of Darkness were gone, their whereabouts unknown. Phillip and Aurora's daughter had been awoken from her eternal slumber. And Cinderella's wedding just brought it all together. It truly was a happily ever after.

"Hello, Cinderella."

And what was more fun than putting a halt to happily ever after's by dropping down the hammer of reality? He especially loved seeing the face of horror and realization on Ella's face as he appeared before her, dressed in his absolute best. To anyone else, he appeared like a normal man. But to Ella, he appeared as he always appeared: a gold skinned beast.

"You," she gasped before he took her in close for a waltz. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to make sure you're happy with your end of the bargain." He informed her as they danced. "You know: true love, riches, happy endings. Did you get everything you desired?"

"Yes," she replied. But she sounded far from grateful. It sounded like someone had finally told her just who she was dealing with. Even as they danced, she was trying to hurry their conversation along. "Yes, I did, now what do you want? What's your price? My jewels? The ring?"

"No, no dear, keep your baubles. What I dear is something you don't yet possess. But something I know is coming." He leaned in close, his breath hot against her ear. "Your first born."

He disappeared into the crowd, fading from her view and away from the little party. He had done what he needed to do and now, if dear Ella was as pure of heart as his visions predicted then he'll be exactly where he needed to be in nine months. That just left him with time to spare.

As the haze of his teleportation cloud he saw the inside of his main room. The crimson walls were a comfort, as was the warm air of magic that saturated the castle. Even if the halls felt emptier and darker without his Belle, he still had a reason to return to his home. And apparently that reason was messing with one of his toys.

Rumple had appeared in silence, allowing him to observe his son without interrupting his little fantasy. Seeing Ben quietly open the cabinet reminded Rumple of a time long ago, where a certain mouse decided to play while the cat was off in Camelot. Only this time it was more like the curious kitten then a mouse. He smiled as Ben picked up a beautiful sword made of celestial bronze. The blade was heavy in the boy's hand and he nearly dropped it from the weight. But he managed to catch himself and correct his balance.

Ben had the correct posture of a swordsman. With his royal blue garb, he looked like a little prince about to fight off some great evil. He could practically hear Belle swoon over their son playing pretend. He wouldn't mind. That is, ff Ben wasn't wielding an enchanted blade that could lop off the head of anyone with magic in their blood.

"Back villain, for it is I, Sir Benedict. Prepare yourself."

Rumple couldn't help himself. He let out a high pitch giggle. That startled Ben. The teenager let out a startled yelp and dropped the sword. It clattered between his feet and he looked up at his father with a sheepish smile. "P-Papa!"

"Careful, Sir Benedict. Wouldn't want to cut yourself, now."

"What…I wasn't…um. Ahem. How was the wedding?" he asked. He was impressed with his son's ability to change the subject of a conversation onto someone else. But Rumple was better.

"Oh you know. Good for me. Not so much for Cinderella. Now, what are you doing with that?"

"Oh this? Well I just thought -"

"You thought that while I was at the ball, you could play with my toys," Rumple chided. Ben's shoulders sagged a little while he bit his bottom lip.

"Uh…no…I mean…" The boy fumbled with his words as he picked up the sword, but Rumple plucked it out of his son's hands. He didn't want Ben fumbling with it. Even if Ben hadn't shown any magical prowess, he still had magic in his blood. He was playing with fire and Rumple wasn't going to allow it.

"It's a nice sword. It's a shame to let it go to waste," Ben commented, his eyes following the sword in Rumple's hand.

"Ah-ah. It's not going to waste," Rumple corrected. "It's collateral. As soon as that sea god returns what's rightfully mine, he can have his little toothpick back. Until then, why don't I put it somewhere idle hands can't reach."

Ben pouted in a way that was so similar to Baelfire, Rumple almost summoned the sword back just so Ben could play with it. But then that would be counterproductive. The point of all this was to protect his son. The Dark Curse. His deal with Ella. His promise to Belle. Everything he had done so far were for his sons. For his family. He smiled at his son, trying to cheer him up.

"Now, Ben, don't look so glum. I'm only try – "

"To make sure I don't hurt myself. I know, Papa. I know. It's just…" Ben walked over and sat on the dining table. "You've got so many things from around the world. I'm just curious." His eyes sparkled with admiration as he took in everything Rumple had collected and displayed in the dining room. He only frowned when his eyes locked on a pair of puppets. "Except those. They still creep me out."

"Yes, well remember what they say about curious cats," Rumple warned as he walked away. He figured it was time to start spinning some straw, start passing the time until it was time move onto the next phase of the plan. He had lots of things to prepare.

"Speaking of curious," Ben piped up, drawing Rumple's attention. Ben was practically chewing on his bottom lip now, which made Rumple curious to what his son had to say. Ben was quite the confident young man, so it was odd seeing him look uncertain. After a bit of encouraging, Ben finally spoke. "I was wondering if…the next time you go out…I could come with you?"

There was a moment of silence at Rumple took in what he had just heard. Ben must have taken this as a sign to clarify what he meant.

"It's just…You've been all of the world, Papa. And I've read about so many places but books can only do so much. I want to go out and see some of the places too."

"Now why would you want to do that?" Rumple asked.

"I've spent my entire life in this castle, growing up just listening to stories and…" he looked down, playing with the little gold ring he wore on his ring finger.

"You've been outside of the castle before."

"Papa, the yard doesn't count."

"Well why not, it's 12 acres of land."

"12 acres that I've memorized like the back of my hand," Ben reasoned. His confidence was growing. Rumple could see the growing fire in his son's eyes as he tried convince him take him along on his many journeys. And as much as loved the thought of his son coming along, it was just out of the question. And yet, before Rumple could say as much, Ben kept going. "I want to see the world. Meet people. Make friends."

"Well if you want friends I can go to the nearby village and get you one."

Ben's eyes widened at the implication and he made a face. "What? Gods no! Not like that!"

"Well it's not like I can create a person out of nowhere. Magic can do much, not but that."

"Making friends doesn't require magic, Papa," Ben said. "I can do it on my own. Just, please take me with you on your next outing."

"Ben I don't – "

"How about a deal, then?" Ben tried. Rumple didn't even hear the proposal. He only heard his son asking to make a deal and was immediately thrown several hundred years back in time. To a time where he foolishly gave into his son's desire. He backed out of that deal and lost a son. He wasn't going to risk it with another.

"Absolutely not!" he snapped on impulse. He didn't mean to startle Ben, but he wanted to crush his son's foolish notion of making a deal with anyone. His son would not be paying the price for any deal. Seeing the surprise in Ben's eyes, Rumple lowered his voice, but kept the same level of intent. "I'm sorry, but I won't do it. No deals. End of story."

"But what am I supposed to do? You won't make a deal with me. You won't let me go on my own."

"And for good reason," Rumple said. "Just forget about this foolish idea, Ben. You're safer here in the castle."

"Safe from what?!"

This time it was Rumple's turn to get startled. He'd never heard his son raise his voice before. It was like hearing a lion's roar. His voice rang through the halls, echoing loudly. Ben himself seemed equally surprised that he managed to raise his voice. Rumple could see the guilt stirring and he tried to place a hand on Ben's shoulder. But to his surprise, Ben rejected the advance.

"I…I'm sorry. It's just…" the fight slowly left Ben's voice as he spoke, "I'm tired of being treated like another piece of your collection."

"Ben…Y-you're not."

"Really? Because it feels like it."

The boy turned and walked away. Suddenly the castle felt much emptier.

….

…..

….

Shamefully, Rumplestiltskin was a master of displacing blame. Unable to own up to his own mistakes, he attributed the growing tension between Ben and himself all on Belle. He had too many fond memories of her tucking Ben into bed, stimulating his imagination with stories of the world, of everything the two of them had seen on their travels. And now that she was gone, Ben obviously was lacking his source of entertainment.

But it wasn't fair to blame Belle, and he knew this. Belle just did what any other loving mother would do. Which was more than anything his own parents would do for him. Belle's love for their son was with no equal and blaming her for something she had no control over was not only disrespectful to her memory, but to everything she stood for. Which obviously meant the blame fell on his son.

Ben should be content with everything he had. He grew up well fed and in luxury. He had everything he could ever want for, from the finest clothes to an abundance of food. Two simple things that Rumple himself struggled to obtained in his youth. Ben didn't need to go out of their property. He was being selfish.

And yet…he wasn't. Deep down, Rumple knew he couldn't keep Ben from the outside world forever. For one, it was bound to have some social effects on his son. Plus, who was he to deny his son companionship? He wouldn't be any better than his father if he kept that up. In the end, he knew that Ben had every right to go see the world like he wanted.

Too bad it took him a good six months to have such an epiphany. In that time, their relationship had faltered. Ben was respectful as always, but Rumple could see the far off look in the teen's eyes as he looked out the windows. It also didn't help that Rumple took even more trips to avoid conversing with his son. After all, he figured that if he could just get the plan going, then Ben wouldn't want to go on any trips. It gave him time to think.

And that's how he ended up in the library, looking down at the sleeping form of his son.

Ben had fallen asleep while reading _Her Handsome Hero_, the book resting open on his chest while his head resting awkwardly on the chair he was in. Rumple never understood the fascination mother and son had with the silly novel, but he could never hate something if it made them happy. He picked up the book and closed it, placing the aged book down on the side table. Ben didn't even stir.

"Waken up, son. Waken up."

Slowly, the boy started to stir. Hazel eyes started to blink open. The haze of sleep gradually leaving them as Ben focused on the waking world.

"Hmmm…? Papa? What's going on?"

"Come. I've something to show you. It's important."

Dutifully, Ben got up and followed behind like a shadow. They walked in silence until they found themselves in the dining hall. He kept walking, stopping when they reached their destination. With tender fingers, he lifted the delicate porcelain tea cup.

"You know…When we were deciding on names for you, your mother considered naming you Chip."

"Chip?"

He showed Ben the cup. "After this. The symbol of our love. At least, until you came along."

"Papa," Ben blushed in embarrassment, but Rumple merely smiled. "I already know about the cup though."

"Ah, you know what the cup represents," Rumple corrected. "But what you don't know is why it's important now, more than ever."

He handed Ben the cup, who held it carefully. The boy's eyes lit up in a way Rumple hadn't seen for far too long. It was like having his little, bright eyed Benedict again. He wanted to have this moment last, just a little longer. But he had something he needed to do.

"Her Majesty, the Evil Queen, is working on casting a powerful curse. One that will take everyone rip everyone in this realm and take them to a terrible place. A land without magic." Rumple explained. The color drained from Ben's face. He didn't need prophetic visions to know what Ben was going to say. He would want Rumple to stop it, to do something. To be a hero. But that wasn't Rumple. "And I'm going to let her."

"Papa!"

"Let me explain. There's something you need to know. Ben, many years ago, long before I met your mother, I was a different man. I had another son."

"I have a brother? How come I've never met him? Where is he? Is he-"

"Ah-ah-ah. Let me finish. Yes. You have a brother. His name was Baelfire. As to where he is, that unfortunately has to do with the curse. You see, your brother is in the Land Without Magic. We were separated many years ago and that curse is the only way I can get to that land."

"So that you can find Baelfire."

Rumple merely nodded. He had told this tale long ago to Belle. She had been understanding back then and supportive of his plan to allow the curse to be enacted. He watched Ben, waiting to see his youngest son's reaction. It felt like ages went by as he tried to gauge Ben's feelings. Ben chewed on his lips and tapped the cup with his fingers. And he never made eye contact, denying Rumple the chance to really know what was going on.

Finally, their eyes met. And all he saw were those warm, understanding eyes looking up at him. The grip on his heart loosened and he was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

"That's why you don't want me going out. You're afraid to lose me too."

It wasn't exactly the reason, but it was close enough to the truth that Rumple didn't feel guilty. "Yes."

"Papa. You're not ever going to lose me."

"I know, son. I know. But, it doesn't help to be cautious. With the power of true love."

"Love is magic?"

"_True_ love. Unbridled and unwavering. Love at its strongest is powerful magic, my boy. With it, you can break any curse. And in 28 years, the curse will be broken by the product of true love. And to ensure your safety, I've used a bit of true love to enchant a symbol of love. Now, whomever holds the cup will have their most precious relationship intact. Not even the Dark Curse will be able to separate them." He waited a moment to let the information to kick in. "And I hereby entrust it to you."

"What?"

"I know I've been hard on you lately, Ben. I can't treat you like a child forever. You're becoming a young man now. And it is time to start trusting you with the grand scheme. In three months-time, the Dark Curse will arrive. When it does, you need to be holding onto that cup. Then as I've predicted, you and I will be together in this new land. A land I will be happy to take you exploring in."

"Wait…you mean that?"

"Of course, son."

Ben's full weight crashed into him as Rumple found himself in a tight hug. He was startled at first, but relented, returning the hug. He pulled out of the hug as looked Ben in the eyes. Things might have been nice now, but it couldn't last forever. Not without precautions.

"But remember. All magic comes with a price. Don't lose this cup, Ben. You might not like what happens."

"I won't, Papa." Ben smiled brightly. "I promise."

Rumple smiled. He felt a weight leave his shoulders as he believed his son's words.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_Storybrooke. October 28th, 2011_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

As it turned out, Ms. Swan was ever the hero. True in heart, confident, and as charming as her father. Those attributes would one day serve her well. But today, they served him well. As he had predicted, Emma accepted his offer. Now Ashley got to keep her little Chadwick while he himself had the savior in his pocket. To her, a favor might seem meaningless, but to him, it was everything he needed to find Baelfire.

Entering his shop, he smiled over the victory. The first step of his plan had come into fruition and now he just had to keep going. But first, he had to clean up a little. Ashley's attack had caused a bit of a mess in his shop and he didn't think of cleaning up yet.

Bending down, he picked up a few boxes that had fallen over. As he cleaned, his hands brushed against something. Curious, the turned the box over. His heart skipped a beat. The white porcelain and blue detailing greeted him like an old friend. The cup no longer held magic, but it was just as powerful as before. Gingerly, he picked it up, staring at Belle's chipped cup, as if any sudden movement would shatter it even more.

In all the years he had been here, he had never seen it. Not in his home, not even in his shop. Yet here it was, hiding underneath an upturned box? They cup, even if it failed to work its magic, should have remained with Ben. And there was no way he would simply place such a precious object so carelessly on the floor where any incompetent fool would have stepped on it. The message was clear.

This was a threat.

Regina was unaware of him being awake. So who?

"Well, well. It appears there's a new player in the game."


	9. Its All in the Wrist

**Sloth: **No, I'm not dead. Just distracted by...things...-loud banging from the back of my mind as other stories try to break free into the world- everything's fine.

* * *

**Chapter Nine. It's All in the Wrist**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_Storybrooke, October 28th, 2011_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Their mother was only gone for 30 minutes when Henry decided to pull a Houdini.

Evie loved her brother, really she did. From the day her mother adopted him, she had immediately fallen in love with the small crying mess that was Henry Daniel Mills. Her photo album was filled with hundreds of pictures of him. From his first steps, to his first time eating ice cream, to his first – and only – school play. She would do anything for him.

Even ring his little neck for running off. As soon as their mother had left, he had turned to her with these big eyes and said "I'm hungry." That was all it took for her to go into Chef Evie mode. And sure, Evie had trouble in the kitchen, but it wasn't like she could mess up mac and cheese right? So she stepped away to cook lunch. And she was only distracted by a few minutes when Lonnie called to ask if Evie's Halloween party was still on.

By the time Evie was finished with the cheesy goodness, Henry was gone. They really needed to put a GPC chip on him or something. After a few minutes of panic – because her party was so canceled if she didn't find him – Evie ran out of the house as fast as she could. She ran out so fast she nearly decapitated Jay as he jogged by. She only gave him a quick apology before racing to Mary Margaret's. She was sure that Henry had gone to see his birth mother.

Evie had her own thoughts about Emma Swan. Most were the same with her mother. Emma had given up Henry in a closed adoption. She didn't want Henry and gave him up, even made sure she didn't know where he was. And yet here she was, in his life. And sure, Emma seemed like a nice enough person. She helped find the coma patient, David Nolan. And she made Henry happy, going along with his fantasy instead of dismissing it. But there was that fear of Emma running off with Henry, taking him away because she was his birthmother.

Despite how she often came off like a dumb spoiled princess, Evie was smart. She knew that Emma could very well take them into a custody battle and nine times out of ten, the birthparents would win the case. Ten years would be gone. And Evie just couldn't see Emma as anything other than the woman who could take Henry from her, no matter how good she was.

By the time Evie reached Mary Margaret's loft, she was nearly out of breath. And Henry wasn't there. No one was. Angry, and tired, Evie walked down the steps and out of the building. Where could they be? A hundred scenarios ran through her mind. The fear that Emma had indeed taken Henry away from Storybrooke growing with each second. God what would her mother say? What would she do?

She was so distracted; she didn't see Ben until she collided into him.

"Oh would you watch where you're going?!" she hissed angrily. Seeing Ben go still, Evie hung her head. "I'm sorry. T-that wasn't…I didn't mean to yell. I'm just a little stressed right now."

He blinked, raising a questioning eyebrow. While she didn't feel like unloading her baggage, she also didn't know what else to do. She was tired from running and being worried. She sat down on a nearby bench, not expecting Ben to sit down next to her. She smiled at the gesture. Ben could be sweet when he wasn't a terrified mess. After a minute of catch her breath, she figured if she was going to vent, might as well vent to a guy who never spoke. It wasn't like he was going to tell anyone.

"It's Henry. He's run off. Again. He just…walked right out while I was making lunch. Because of course. I don't know what's gotten into him. Mom thinks its Emma…but Henry's been like this before Emma came to town. I want to trust him but…He runs off and I have no idea where he is."

Speaking the words out loud didn't make her feel any better. Sure, it felt nice to finally get it off her chest, but what did it accomplish? Henry's relationship with their mother was still strained, as if the past ten years were nothing. And Evie was stuck in the middle, trying to mediate between a workaholic mother and a fanciful brother.

But her melancholy was interrupted by someone prodding her shoulder. Raising a brow, Evie turned to see Ben's nervous face. He was doing that tick of his, chewing on his bottom lip as if he had something to say. Part of her wanted to scold him, but another was just wondering why he was poking her. He wasn't one to interact with people. Looking at him, she found that he was gesturing down the road.

"Here," she sighed as she pulled out her cellphone. "This has a keypad and…there. Just type what you want to say."

He stared in confusion. After a bit of encouragement, he gave it a try. As the words appeared on screen, a bright smile appeared on his face, something Evie couldn't remember seeing on Ben. She knew him for as long as she could remember, and yet she could barely recall any expression on his face other than confusion or terror. They shared the same classes. He delivered flowers to his mother's office. And occasionally she could see him across the street every weekend. But she never recalled seeing him smile. It was kind of cute.

He returned her phone to her, his message displayed on the screen. _'I saw him earlier.' _

"You did?!" she shouted in excitement. He recoiled at her enthusiasm and Evie pulled back. "Right. Loud noises. Sorry. Where? Where is he?"

Using her phone again, Ben typed out the answer, before returning it timidly. _'Granny's'_

"Of course. Ben, you're a life saver." Evie threw her arms around Ben. He stiffened under her, making her feel like she was hugging a bean pole. And yet, she was so happy she didn't care. She pulled back, smiling at him. "Thank you, so much!" She took the phone and ran off, leaving behind a very confused and frightened Ben. She'd make it up to him though. Her priority was to get to Granny's before Henry disappeared.

As it turned out, Henry was sitting on one of the picnic tables outside of Granny's. Just happily sitting, reading that god forsaken book. She marched towards him, channeling that infamous Mills silent rage.

"Henry Daniel Mills!"

Seeing his head snap at attention, eyes wide like a deer, Evie smiled wickedly. She wasn't one to get angry or take joy in tormenting others, but dammit she was going to drag him back home and stuff some cold macaroni into his mouth whether he liked it or not.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_The Enchanted Forest, 3 Months Before the Curse_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Mirror mirror, in my hand, show me the one I love most in the land."

Smoke filled the shard of the magic mirror. As the blue smoke faded the image that greeted her twisted her heart. Her Dopey, still sleeping where they left him. Every moment away was like living in a void. Empty and cold. She had her friends, but nothing was colder than knowing your true love was under a sleeping curse because of you.

"Who's that?"

Evie jumped at the sudden voice. She looked up to find Ben standing behind her. Not close enough to make her uncomfortable, but close enough to see the magic mirror's contents. She was impressed by his ability to just walk around in silence. Like some sort of wraith. Just three nights ago he was stumbling over his own two feet, nearly tripping over twigs and roots. Now that he was used to the outside, he was as agile as Jay. Just earlier when they were setting up camp, he had caught Mal as she tripped, saving her from stumbling into the river. He had definitely proven himself to be quite the outdoorsman.

"I thought you were catching fish with Carlos and Jay," Evie diverted.

"We were. But…"

He turned around and Evie followed his line of sight. Jay was trying to untangle Carlos from the net they were going to use to catch fish. Mal was laughing as the two simply just got the net more tangled up.

"It's going to take a while. So. Who was that?"

"You're a curious one, aren't you?" Evie asked, once again diverting the question. She got up, brushing the dirt from her dress. She wasn't as used to sleeping in the forest as the others, but it became enjoyable in time. "So, how are you liking sleeping in the forest?"

"Honestly?" Ben started, "It's kind of fun."

As he started talking, Evie smiled at another successful dodging of questions. The others knew of her predicament. They knew why they were on this journey so she didn't feel uncomfortable about telling them everything. But Ben…He was still new to the group. He was a fresh faced boy who saw everything with wide eyed wonder. It was endearing, but he couldn't possibly understand.

"You never get to see the stars like this back at the castle," he sighed, drawing her attention to the very skies he was adoring. While they were pretty, Evie had grown up with an open balcony that allowed her to see past mountain tops. She had grown bored of the night sky. Instead, her attention turned to see the chaos with the net. Carlos had fallen over now, nearly stumbling into Mal. She stifled a laugh as an unaware Ben said, "plus, camping with people is fun."

"You've never been camping?"

"No. Not even in the field around the castle. I didn't even know camping was a thing until two days ago."

"Well welcome to the real world, Ben." Evie smiled. "It's full of dirt, twigs, and clear skies."

A scream caught the two's attention. Carlos had rolled down the hill and into the embankment of the river. Jay stumbled after their smallest party member, while Dude barked from a safe distance. Seeing the chance, Evie politely suggested,

"You should go help Jay."

"Hmm? Yeah." He rushed off to help, allowing Mal to stealthily take his place. She had a devious smirk on her face. The kind that screamed scheming sorceress.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just someone's getting chummy."

"Mal," Evie chuckled. Despite the easy way Mal could joke about their new companion, Evie knew better. You didn't grow up around Mal without being able to spot the signs. It was the way Mal sat close enough for their elbows to touch. She could see how, despite looking outwardly calm and confident, Mal's fingers fidgeted with the dirt and grass they sat on. Without missing a beat, Evie leaned in close, allowing their heads to touch as she put away her mirror.

"He's not as bad as you think. A little clueless, but I can tell he's got a heart."

"Right," the purple haired girl huffed skeptically, but didn't move from her spot.

"Give him a chance."

"Hey, I'm not looking to make any new friends," Mal said as she leaned closer to Evie. Their hands intertwined, Evie using her thumb to rub circles on the back of Mal's hand. The touch was gentle, yet translated more than enough words between them. "I'm just not looking forward to having to find a ship to get us to the graveyard."

"Too bad neither of us learned to teleport huh?" Evie chuckled, earning a snort from Mal.

They sat there a bit longer, the only sound being the crickets around them and the boys attempt to catch dinner. If they didn't have such a long journey ahead of them, Evie would have thought that this was a nice. But whatever lied ahead, she could only whisper a soft thank you to her violet haired friend.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_Storybrooke, November 1__st__, 2011_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"This is for you."

Soft brown eyes blinked up at heart in confusion. For a sliver of a second, Evie could hear the dead silence that hushed over the cafeteria. It had to be an unusual sight for everyone. For one, she was the mayor's daughter. Popular, beautiful, and smart. And Ben…well Ben was Ben. He was the quiet flower delivery boy that sat alone at lunch.

But as mother always said, Mills women never met a challenge they couldn't overcome. And from the way Ben seemed to inch away, this was definitely going to be a bit of a challenge. But so was getting Mal to come out of her shell. So without backing down, she held the envelope towards him.

"It's a thank you. For helping me find Henry. I want to invite you to my birthday party."

Ben looked at the envelope as if it were on fire, but she remained firm. She kept a smile on her face, trying to come off as friendly as possible. It wasn't difficult to see that Ben was a good person under all that jitteriness and fear. She just wanted to help him out. No one needed to eat lunch alone for their whole high school career.

"Take it. I want you to come, Ben."

He stared up at her, blinking in uncertainty. He bit his lower lip, his eyes starting between the cherry red invitation and Evie's face, as if searching for something. Maybe he was afraid she was going to pull some elaborate prank. Or maybe he thought he was having a vivid hallucination. She wanted to reassure him, tell him that she well and truly meant it.

But Ben wasn't one for physical contact. She'd learn that much from their small encounters together. She promised herself she wouldn't try and overload him. She wanted to be friends, not scare him off.

But whatever her intentions were, someone else got a little fed up with Ben's indecisiveness.

"Take it."

Mal plucked the envelope from Evie's hands and placed it in Ben's. The exchange was so quick that Evie didn't even have time to register that Mal had snuck up on them. She was half expecting Ben to recoil violently as Mal stuck the envelope into his hand. But much to her surprise, the brunette was frozen in place, staring at Mal. His face held the same captivated look of someone who was smitten. Mal only looked back, half daring him to turn down the invitation and half cross-examining him. Her predatory gaze searching for any hint of distrust. When she found something, she bluntly asked,

"What happened to your wrist?"

Evie caught what had caught Mal's attention. Ben's sleeve had hidden it most of it, but now that Mal was holding his hand, the bruises were noticeable. An ugly reddish purple mark wrapped around Ben's wrist. It was slightly blue just under his thumb, with the angry red spreading from there and going outward.

Suddenly the party seemed insignificant.

"Ben, this looks fresh," Evie commented.

Fear split across his face and Ben pulled his arm out of Mal's exploring hands. He pulled his sleeve, covering the bruise and made a mad dash for the exit. He didn't even wait as she called out to him, putting as much distance between himself and the cafeteria as possible.

"Did that…?"

"Yeah."

Evie was at a loss for words. She sat there, next to Mal. Unsure on what to do, all Evie could do was taking in the comforting circles Mal rubbed into the back of her hands.


	10. Because of You

**Sloth**: this is a pretty depressing chapter as we dig into the mindset of someone who's been conditioned to believe they're the problem. I'm also half tempted to start splitting the story into parts that work better as individual stories. Because half way through this chapter, I kind forgot about Emma. whoops.

* * *

**Chapter Ten. Because of You**

/\/\/\/\/\/\

_Storybrooke, November 3th, 2011_

/\/\/\/\/\/\

He should have just waited until he got home to listen to his music. Sure, there was the chance that Grampa Moe might be in one of his moods, but Ben had been good the whole week. Even with the mishap with Evie earlier with his bruise, he had been quick to make sure no one else saw it. It had been an accident and Grampa Moe didn't need to get in trouble because he didn't keep up with the older man. So he was confident that his behavior earned some time for music.

But dammit he was just so excited to try out his new headphones.

He had saved up for weeks for them. He saw them on one of his trips to Dark Star Pharmacy. They were a beautiful blue with yellow cords. They had a little volume and playback control attached to the left cord, giving their own the ability to switch songs and change the volume without having to take out their CD player. Which was great because his mother's CD player was kind of big and now he could keep it safe in his jack pocket.

It was worth the purchase, and the sound quality was something out of this world. Kelly Clarkson's voice filled his ears. Despite the slight reverb and echoe, Ben felt relaxed as he listened to the music. The world around him slipped away. His feet moved along with the beat that flooded his ears. He couldn't stop from mouthing the words and for a few short minutes, he forgot his voice didn't work. It was just him and the music.

And then reality hit him across the face.

He had been so engrossed in his music that he didn't even see Mr. Gold until they collided with one another. The flower he was supposed to deliver to the pawn broker was now laying smashed on the ground. And worse of all, Mr. Gold's suit had a big dirt stain on in. He wasn't sure what was worse, the fact that he just lost another delivery, or that he lost Mr. Gold's delivery.

"You should be more careful, Mr. French," Mr. Gold hissed. As least, that's what Ben assumed. Despite the impact, he never took his headphones off and he was too terrified to do it. His hazel eyes watched with trepidation as Mr. Gold wiped the dirt of his suit. His muscles tensed, waiting for the strike.

"You know, its rude to listen to music when someone's speaking to you."

He pulled the headphones out of his ear so fast, the bounces around a bit and smacked him on the cheek. His fingers started to play with them. The feel of the cool plastic under his fingers were a little calming, but not even that coupled with his familiar feeling of his teeth against his bottom lip could help. He watched. Waited. His eyes kept a look out. Grampa Moe didn't usually drag it out this long.

"Come now, there's no need to bite your lip. It was a simple accident," Mr. Gold told him. He even had a kind smile. Which to be honest was kind of creepy. Mr. Gold never smiled unless he was going to take something.

Oh god, what if he took the truck? Their flower truck was on loan from Gold and while they were good at paying the man on time, Ben was told one screw up and they could kiss the truck goodbye. And no truck meant no business. His eyes started to water at the thought of trying to tell Grampa Moe he just lost them their truck. He felt his chest get tight and suddenly it was getting difficult to breath.

"Ah...Mr. French. There's no need to cry, it was a simple accident."

Why was he so stupid? All he had to do was deliver the stupid flowers. No mess. No fuss. And now he ruined his delivery and pissed off the guy who had all the power in town. His vision got blurry and he wiped at his eyes.

Men don't cry. Men don't cry, Ben. Men don't cry.

"Is everything alright?"

Someone else had arrived and Ben wanted nothing more than for the earth to open up and swallow him whole. Here is was, a poor excuse of a man, getting gawked at like the idiot he was. Grampa Moe was right. he was always right.

"Everything's fine, Mr. Rodgers."

"It's Deputy Rodger, Mr. Gold."

Oh god, the deputy? Was he going to jail?

"I highly doubt you're currently fit to be doing any form of police work at the moment," Mr. Gold sassed, confusing Ben to what was going on. He needed to focus. It was how he got into this mess in the first place. He needed to get a grip or Grampa Moe really was going to replace him with a monkey.

'Focus, Ben. Focus.' he thought to himself, accentuating each word with a tap to his head. A hand came down on his shoulder and Ben, much to his complete and utter embarrassment, flailed.

His body reacted as naturally as it could to unwanted contact. Only his spacial awareness wasn't all that great. He stepped back off the sidewalk. The change in depth caused him to stumble back until he felt his head connect with the side of the truck. Pain exploded in his head, his vision clouded with white spots. He could here a commotion around him. Arguing. As his vision cleared, he saw Mr. Gold entering his shop as Deputy Rodgers was crouched next to him.

"Are you all right, Lad?"

He was never alright, but he nodded to please the man. Though, nodding caused the back of his head to ache and he flinched instinctively.

"It's alright to say 'no'. You took a pretty hard tumble," the man chuckled. Ben looked at Deputy Rodgers. He didn't know much about the man. Ben never got out much, and any news he heard he heard from his classmates. And all he knew about the deputy was that he was apparently indisposed due to an accident with his hand. It was why his eyes were drawn to the man's missing hand. Where there should be a hand, there was only a stump wrapped in bandages and tucked inside a black strap. He had the whole arm in a sling, as it he just had a sprained arm rather than a missing hand.

When he was caught staring, Ben shamefully looked down at the floor, shrinking down and hoping Rodgers' didn't get angry. He didn't expect Rodgers to chuckle.

"Notice the arm, eh? Word of advice, Lad. Never reach for a boat propeller," the man said with a goodhearted laugh. Ben was taken back. He didn't expect that. Usually he got a cuff to the head for staring.

"Now, Gold might be scary, he's not cruel. He's gone to get a first aid kit. You took quite the fall. He feels really bad about grabbing you, but you gave us a bit of a scare what with you hitting yourself. Is it ok if I examine your head? I promise, I'll just look. No touching, Deal?"

Ben blinked. Was the deputy asking for permission to touch him? The man was officially weird. Still. He was a law officer and that meant he had to obey. So Ben leaned forward a little, his bottom lip once again getting chewed on. As promised, Rodgers didn't touch him once. He just looked. Things must have been good because it took a while before Rodgers gave him the all clear.

"Well good news, yer not bleeding. But it'll leave a bruise. Nothing some ice can't fix."

Ben looked up at the man. He wasn't sure how to react. Rodgers was actually being nice. Most adults either ignored him or gave him a tap upside the head. But Rodgers...It was a little uncomfortable. And Ben wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. He didn't have time to dwell on it though as Mr. Gold returned with a first aid kit. There was an ice pack in it. He was offered the aforementioned item and gingerly took it.

"What's that on your wrist?" the pawn broker asked, alarm laced through his words.

Ben pulled back his hand as Gold reached for it. He cursed himself for not covering up better. Never show the bruises, Grampa Moe said. He had screwed up earlier in the week because Mal had grabbed him to hand him an invite to Evie's party. He didn't blame her. If he had just accepted the invite, she wouldn't have to get forceful. He tried wearing longer sleeve, but apparently that didn't work either. God, Grampa Moe was going to hate him.

He got up. Mr. Gold was the last stop on his route for the day. He could just head home now and just lay down in his bed.

"Ah, Benjamin."

"Careful, Lad. Steady."

He swayed, the distance between the floor and his feet seeming to change every second. After getting his barings, he offered the ice pack back to Mr. Gold.

"That's not necessary. You'll be needing it."

"Aye. You're in no condition to be going anywhere yet. I can't in good conscience let you drive either," Rodgers told him.

Ben looked between the two men. They didn't seem to want him going anywhere. And Rodgers was an officer of the law while Gold...well he was Gold. A kid like Ben was nothing to them. Defeated, Ben sat back down, placing the ice pack back on his head. Sitting there on the floor, he was only briefly aware of the two men's conversation.

From the sound of it, Gold wanted Rodgers to leave and it made him nervous. His back pressed against the truck, praying Gold wouldn't take it for the damaged flowers.

...

...

...

...

...

...

"Peace offering?"

Emma turned at the new voice. She was still getting used to Storybrooke and it wasn't uncommon for someone new to come up to her. What startled her though, was the fact the voice came from within the Sheriff Station. While yes, she was still getting used to her new job, she had grown accustomed to everything in the station.

Everything that is except the dark haired guy in leather who was holding a box of donuts to her.

"Uh thanks...?"

"I see Graham hasn't spoken of me. I'm actually hurt."

Suddenly it clicked. As he sauntered over to the desk opposite her's, Emma made a mental check of everything Graham had told her of the other deputy. A love of black leather? Check. Sauntering like he owns the place? Check. Thick Irish accent? Check. Missing hand? Unfortunately, check. "Oh yeah. Your Eugene."

"Yes I'm - wait what?"

"Eugene? Unless there's another Irish deputy missing a hand," Emma snickered.

"Bloody hell. Did he actually give you my real name?" he huffed as he leaned back in his chair like an upset teenager. Emma just laughed.

"What? Like Finn is better? So, why the donuts?"

Rodgers mumbled something under his breath about getting back and Graham and Emma was very tempted to see where it would go. She wasn't used to having co-workers, but Graham was nice and Rodgers didn't come off as a jackass, so bonus. Still, now that she was actually face-to-face with the man she was covering for, she might as well pick his brain.

"Well, I thought I'd formerly meet the newest addition to the force," he said. Suddenly Emma felt guarded. In just one moment, Rodgers had gone from slouching in his chair, to sitting up straight. His posture rigid, guarded yet judgmental. He had become this haunting raven that stared her down from across the table.

But Emma Swan didn't back down just because someone was judging her. She returned the gesture, staring him down, daring him to say anything bad about her. They stared at each other in silence for only a few minutes.

"I think Graham picked a good one," he smirked and he slouched in his chair like a bratty teenager. Emma wasn't sure if she was impressed or annoyed now. "Speaking of our intrepid leader, where is Humbert?"

"Oh please tell me that's his first name."

"Last name, sadly."

"Shame. Graham's picking up his nephew from his mathletes thing," Emma replied as she popped open the box and grabbed the single bear claw within.

"Was that today? Well, Harry's a smart lad. They'll probably get first place this year."

"Why do you need Graham, anyways? Aren't you supposed to be on paid leave for another week?" Emma asked through a mouthful of fried doughey goodness.

"Aye. But..." he paused, chewing briefly on his index finger. Emma thought he was going to keep his thoughts to himself, but Rodgers seemed too eager to talk. She inched forward, a gesture telling him to go one. If they were going to be working together, then they might as well start trusting each other now.

"I was on my way to get the donuts when I ran into a curious scene at Gold's."

"Why am I not surprised Gold's involved?"

"No love for the vulture?"

"Not particularly," Emma replied. The memory of Gold's underhand, and just downright disgusting deal with Ashley lingering in the back of her mind.

"Well, its not Gold I'm concerned about." Now Emma was even more curious. "Do you know who Benjamin French is?"

Emma searched her memory. Unfortunately she couldn't say she remember a face to go with the name.

"Well, Swan, it's lucky day. Because I think we might have a child abuse case on our hands."

The serious Rodgers returned, his eyes piercing cold and determined. Suddenly the bear claw tasted stale.

...

...

...

...

...

...

"You stay in there and think about what you've done!"

His back hit the closet wall and his head bounced against it. The force was enough to get a frail, strangled squeak from Ben. If he thought his head hurt before, it hurt worse now. Men don't cry, he repeated to himself as he rolled onto his stomach.

The door slammed in his face, literal inches from smacking into his nose. Even in the darkness that encapsulated him, his vision blurred from the tears that threatened to spill. Men don't cry. Men don't cry.

And yet...

He drew his knees to his chest, wrapping them tight with his frail arms. He knew Grampa Moe did this because he cared. He cared enough to teach Ben that his actions have consequences and when you screw up like he did today, a two nights in the dark room wasn't so bad, right? It...It was just unfair because he had been so good all week.

Sniffing, Ben wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He sat in the silence, the creeks and groans of the house answering his silence questions. When he couldn't hear Grampa Moe anywhere near him, Ben fished out his headphones. As the melody filled his ears, Ben laid down on his side.

Men don't cry he thought as he cried himself to sleep.


	11. Charming

**Sloth: **In all honesty, this is slowly turning into something out of crime show. Which also makes me think I should do a separate fic of just Rodger, Emma, and Graham solving some crime in Storybrooke. You know, before -draws line over neck-. Might. But before that, they've gotta get through their first case together involving Ben. Which means, yes, Graham will be sticking around for a while.

Which brings me to some questions that I was asked. One from a guest asking if Rodger is Eugene from Tangled and if we'd see Rapunzel and his kids. The short answer is, no. I haven't read the books and most of the Descendants characters come from the film while the adults are from ONCE.

A Follow up to another question for those familiar with Rodger on how he got to Storybrooke in season 1, well its simple. This is an AU in part of the Descendant kids and how their existence affect their parents. And despite how people may feel about Hook, you can't deny that he cares about his kids. As to whether there will be Captain Swan, I don't know yet, but if it happens, I will be sure to make it happen a lot more naturally than in the show. I hope that clear things up.

Now, on with the show!

* * *

**Chapter Eleven. Charming**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_Storybrooke, November 3__rd__, 2011_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

When she was a bail bonds person, Emma rarely had a stressful day. She was usually able to stakeout a person days before going out for the catch. Nine times out of ten, she was the one in control of the situation. And when she did have a stressful day, it was usually because her target either outsmarted her or she tripped over something like an idiot.

But today was one of those rare stressful days. The kind of stress you got when you've been pushed down a hill while inside one of those inflatable hamster balls. It started out nice and fine until her colleague, Eugene Rodger, gave her that little push in the form of a possible child abuse case. And just like magic, her good day went south fast.

She didn't know much about Rodger. Hell, she just met him a few hours ago. But from that first meeting, she'd gather enough to make an impression of him. For one, he was way too dramatic to be a cop. And while he had a flare for storytelling, she seriously doubted he lost his hand to a crocodile. And his little act of pretending to be serious was charming at first, but she really hoped he didn't do it all the time. However, when he started telling her about Ben, she saw something in him that kind of unsettled her. His eyes held so much anger in it. He wasn't pretending to be serious or playing around with her. He was serious, holding back a fire in him that if it went unchecked, someone was going to get hurt.

As he told her of the situation, Emma couldn't help but pay attention. Mostly because the subject was a little too close to home. She didn't know much about Moe French, but from Rodger's description, the guy sounded like your regular high functioning drunk. Moe was a regular patron at the Rabbit's Hole, the town bar. And he apparently had the habit of dragging his grandson off by the ear. The description alone was enough to make Emma's stomach curl with flashes of a time long ago.

But the sad truth of the matter was, whether she believed Rodger or not, there was no substantial evidence. A bruise on the arm and a kid's behavior wasn't enough to draw up a warrant. Even when Rodger tried to talk to Graham when the sheriff returned from picking up his nephew, the deputy couldn't get a warrant for Moe's arrest.

"Moe's an arse but even he wouldn't hurt his own grandson," Graham had tried to reason. Rodger had snorted at the half-hearted reasoning.

"Just because someone appears to be a _gentleman_ in public, doesn't mean they are behind closed doors," he said, bitterness dripping with each word. "You know I've got great intuition. I'm right about this one, Graham."

"Right or not, without enough evidence, we won't even be able to hold the man," Graham countered.

They had gone back and forth for well over thirty minutes, Rodger's hot headed fury against Graham's calm reasoning. At one point they tried to get Emma to side with them. That's when she decided to get text from Mary Margaret about a non-existent toaster fire and bail out with the last donut.

Her journey back was too quiet, filled with lingering thoughts she'd rather forget about. But the problem with lingering thoughts was they never gave up. Even when she filled the Bug with some music, all she could think about was her past. Back then, she had been a helpless bystander whose neighbor was used as a punching bag. But now she was an adult, an authority figure who had the power to stop the bad guys. And yet the only thing stopping her was semantics. And god did she hate that. When she was bails bond person, she didn't have to deal with technicalities and evidence, she just had to get the guy. And this new found restraint, this inability to do something, it ate at her. By the time she got back to the apartment, all she wanted to do was find her bed and sleep until noon.

"Long day?"

"You've no idea," Emma sighed as she crossed the threshold to meet Mary Margaret at the kitchen island. Sitting across from the raven haired woman, Emma only had to take one glance to realize she wasn't the only one who had a bad day. Mary Margaret looked like she was seconds away from shoving all the homework aside and call it a day herself. Emma gave her a sympathetic look. "You wanna go first or should I?"

"By all means, you first," Mary Margaret said as she offered some homemade hot cocoa. "Maybe it'll make me feel less like a bad person."

Emma tried not to comment and instead took the offered drink. She took one sip, her taste buds lingering on the bitter sweet dark chocolate. "Breaking into the good stuff huh? Today must have been really bad."

"Did you know the capital of Florida was Atlanta?" Mary Margaret asked as she stared at Emma. She picked up one of the test papers, examining with a crestfallen gaze. "Or how about the capital of Maine is actually Kentucky. I didn't know that and we live in Maine."

"Ouch."

"I just don't understand. I know they know the answers, but it's like as soon as they start taking the test…" Mary Margaret sighed, resting her head in her arms. "I don't know what to do."

Emma gave her roommate a sympathetic pat on the elbow. She wasn't exactly the greatest test taker herself. She recalled too many tests that ended with stress and anxiety. And it wasn't like Mary Margaret was one of those teachers that got angry with her kids who failed. She genuinely wanted them to do well.

"Kids huh?"

"Not exactly helpful," Mary Margaret chuckled.

"Sorry. Having a bit of a kid issue myself."

"Did someone get in trouble?" It looked like Emma had her undivided attention. Not that she enjoyed being put on the spot. She stared at her cocoa, trying to find the words. Just when it seemed like she couldn't quite explain the dilemma, a thought struck her.

"Hey, do you know a Ben French?"

"Ben? Uh, yeah. He's a student at the prep school. He also delivers flowers for the hospital. Why? Is he in trouble?"

"Does he usually get in trouble?"

"What? God no. He's the sweetest. And really shy. Emma, what's this about?"

"You know Deputy Rodger right?"

"Yeah. Did he start back today? I thought it would take a bit longer to recover from a wood chipper," Mary Margaret mused. Emma snorted.

"Sort of. He stopped by for a chat and to report a possible crime. What can you tell me about Moe French?" This time Mary Margaret's reply didn't involve words. Bitterness shifted across her face that was followed by a heavy sigh. "That bad of a guy, huh?"

"Moe is…very rude. He calls me your majesty with this condescending tone." A moment of pause and the school teacher seem to connect the dots. "Wait. Emma what does this have to do with Ben?"

"Rodger seems to think Moe's hitting his grandson. Graham doesn't want to look into it without some more evidence."

"And you?"

"I think I need to give Graham his evidence," Emma replied, a smile forming on her face. Seeing a similar smile forming on Mary Margaret's face, Emma couldn't help but feel pride bubble in her chest. It was time for Emma to get to work.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_Snow White's Castle, 3 Months Before the Curse_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

There were a lot of things expecting mothers had to worry about. Would the baby be healthy? Would she make it through the birth? Would she be a good mother? But Snow White doubted any of those expecting mothers ever had to worry about their step-mother's impending curse.

Each passing day, Snow would wake and hold her breath, hoping against hope that Regina had given up on her desperate attempt at revenge. But it was like hoping the sun wouldn't rise in the morning. Regina was hell bent on casting her curse no matter what.

She rubbed her swollen belly, waiting for the soft kick of little Emma. "It's ok, baby. It'll work out in the end."

She hummed softly, hoping Emma would memorize the melody. Blue said that babies loved music and Snow wanted Emma to have everything. Love, attention, happiness. She was getting into the music herself when a crowing interrupted her. Her eyes snapped open at the sound. She scanned her room until her gaze fell upon a raven that was patiently waiting for her on the balcony. Wrapped around its leg was a scrolled note tied neatly with a red ribbon.

"Phobos," Snow gasped as she saw the bird. She stood up from her chair and nearly leapt towards the raven. The bird only ruffled its dark feathers, crowing impatiently. Diligently, Snow untied the note before petting the bird's head. "Thank you. A gift of thanks."

She gave the raven a piece of her barely touched breakfast bread. It happily squawked before taking off into the air. She smiled a s she watched the raven take off. It must be nice to be so free. But she didn't have time to dwell for long. She unrolled the note, recognizing Evie's delicate hand writing. Thinking of her step-sister, Snow placed a hand on her belly. "You've got a brave auntie, you know that, Emma?"

Snow's eyes went over the letter, reading them once before rereading them again. She had read the letter a third time when Charming walked into their room.

"Is that a letter from Evelyn?" he asked as he joined her on their bed.

"Yes. They made it to the Dark Castle, but Dopey's heart wasn't there. It was put somewhere else," she sighed as she leaned into her husband's broad shoulder. "Apparently Rumplestiltskin has several vaults hidden across the realms. They're heading to one of them now."

"Which one? Maybe we can send some troops to assist."

Snow chuckled, leaning closer to him. Feeling the warmth of his body felt good and a gentle kick from Emma told her that their daughter also wanted to be closer to Charming. Not wanting to disappoint, she took his hands and placed them on her belly. "You're too kind, Charming. But she didn't say. Only that they've picked up a new travel companion and are safe."

"So it's the usual," he laughed. "Your sister's quite the friendly traveler."

"Yes. She is," Snow agreed. But her heart ached. Regina's words still haunted her despite it being nearly a year since she told Snow the truth. The truth about what happened to Daniel and the truth about Evie. At the time, she wanted to deny it. She didn't want to believe that her actions had not only caused the death of someone, but also took away Evie's real father. She wanted to believe that Regina was just trying to be cruel, because how could she have spent years growing up with someone who wasn't her biological sister? But she saw the angry passion in Regina's eyes. The truth in her gaze.

At first, the revelation had hurt. It had made her distant from Evie. But not because she couldn't see them as sisters anymore. Even if Evie wasn't her sister by blood, they were sisters by love and that was all that matter to Snow. What caused the growing distance was the uncertainty of what would happen when Evie knew the truth. The truth that Snow was the reason Evie's father was dead.

Regina obviously didn't tell Evie the truth for whatever reason. Snow guessed because Regina wanted to protect Evie from that kind of pain. But now that Snow knew…well Evie deserved the truth. But at what cost? Was it fair to tell her? But who was she to deny Evie the truth?

And if she couldn't figure out something like this with her sister, how would she fair as a mother? Would there be a time where she'd have to keep a secret from Emma? Could she keep something like that from Emma? If she failed her sister, would she also fail her daughter?

The questions kept coming and she didn't realize she was crying until Charming wiped a tear away. "Snow? What's wrong?" he asked, his soft concern pulling at her heart. His eyes held onto her gaze and all she saw was kindness, concern, and love. She broke their eye contact so she could lay her head on his chest, shifting positions ever so slightly so that the sound of his heart echoed in her ear.

"I just miss her," she told him. A half-truth that would cover up for tears of uncertainty. "I want our family to be together."

"We will. If she's anything like you, she'll find her way back to us."

Snow smiled. "We'll always find each other."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Storybrooke, November 4th, 2011

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Evie!"

The Raven haired girl stopped and turned to Emma. The blond was glad to catch the girl not long after Henry got on his bus. She would be able to talk to the younger girl without exposing Henry to something he would surely get too curious about. The last thing she needed was Regina coming at her for exposing Henry to an investigation.

"Oh, Deputy Swan. Good morning."

"Emma's fine."

"Um. Ok. What can I do for you, Emma?"

"You go to school with Ben French, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Evie replied. The raven haired girl suddenly became slightly anxious, catching Emma's attention. "Is he in trouble?"

"No," Emma replied. At least Emma hoped not. "What can you tell me about him?"

Evie eyed Emma for a second. She could almost see the same inquisitive gaze Henry often got when he was onto something. She found it cute that the two of them could wear matching expressions. "Not much I'm afraid. Ben's really shy. He…"

Evie seem to struggle for the words. Emma could tell that she wanted to say something, but the words didn't seem to want to come out. Emma gave the younger girl a warm smile, trying to encourage her. Emma's life as a kid might have sucked, but it at least gave her an understanding on how kids wanted to be treated.

"Ben's sort of…has this fear of being touched," Evie finally said.

"Fear?"

"I once gave him a hug and he stopped moving for a good minute. And he flinches whenever someone gets near him," she explained.

Emma made sure to keep that in mind. In all honesty, combined with what she already knew, the picture she was putting together in her head wasn't looking pretty. But hunches weren't going to be good enough.

"How long have you known him?"

"Personally? Um…Actually come to think of it, I hadn't really started talking to him until recently. Weird."

"But you know enough, right?"

"Yeah. We have lockers next to each other and share the same lunch schedule," Evie said. "He also delivers flowers after school and during the weekend." She added.

Emma raised an eyebrow. She didn't think a florist would be selling flowers every day, but Storybrooke often or not surprised her. "Thanks, Evie. You've been a lot of help."

"No problem, Emma."

She was ready to leave and let Evie head on to her school when the girl came back to her.

"Uh…Emma. Um, there is one thing," she hesitated.

"Yeah?"

Evie was fidgeting, playing with her wrist. Once again, Emma could see the younger girl wanting to speak up, but this time, there was something stopping her. Like she had some really juicy secret and was struggling with herself on trying not to let the secret out. Emma wanted to encourage Evie to continue, but before she could, the younger girl just shook her head.

"Never mind. Have a good day." She said before turning and walking off, leaving Emma to ponder what Evie was going to tell her.

But he'd have to follow up later. Right now she had a plan forming in her head. But she'd need a little help first. Pulling out her phone, she dialed the number she had acquired from her newest colleague.

"Eugene. Hey, how about we get Graham some flowers?"


	12. The Purest Heart

**Sloth:** I swear there's a plot somewhere in all this Ben angst. It's just going to take a bit for it to be revealed. Unless you can guess it. :3

* * *

**Chapter Twelve. The Purest Heart**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_The Enchanted Forest, Three Months Before the Dark Curse_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_His hand dug into the older man's chest, sliding in as if there was nothing to stop him. Even as he heard the sharp intake of breath of the people around him, he didn't hesitate. His fingers curled around the man's beating heart. A satisfied grin split across his face at the man's pain. Without hesitation, he pulled, ripping the heart out of his victim's chest._

_The heart glowed a brilliant red in his hand. The rhythmic pulse of the heart was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. The heart was smooth and felt like glass. A delicate thing that held so much power. Power he now had in his fingertips. With an impish smile, he turned his gaze at his kneeling victim. Hazel eyes looked up at him in surprise and hurt. _

"_Why?" the man asked. _

_He only grinned. _

"_Because I can."_

_The man's screams of agony as he started crushing the heart was something else. It was an adrenaline rush. A high he'd never experienced before. This was fun. _

"_Stop!" a new voice called out to him. He turned to the violet haired sorceress, pouting in annoyance. "Please. This isn't you."_

"_Oh but it is, Dearie. Always has been. Always will be," he cackled as he played with the glowing heart in his scaled hands._

"_Killing him won't bring your mother back," she tried to reason. "Please, Ben."_

_Ben just tilted his head. He turned back to his victim, watching as his grandfather looked up at him, reaching out for desperation. For help. For forgiveness. _

"_I know."_

_He crushed the heart without hesitation, reveling in the feeling of ash slipping through his fingers as his grandfather took his final breaths._

…

…

…

Ben woke with a gasp of terror. Sweat was trailing down his brow and his yellow shirt stuck to his chest uncomfortably. But his discomfort was put aside as his mind failed to catch up with the rest of his body. He looked around the unfamiliar darkness around him, hazel eyes searching for something, anything that would push the darkness away. Something that would ground him in reality. A groan to his left drew his attention. He latched to the sound and to the figure sprawled next to him. The familiar white curls tan skin jogged his tired brain. Slowly the memories came to him. He was in a tent with Carlos and Jay. They were a day's journey from Port Tortuga, where Mal was planning on acquiring a ship to take them to the Fairy Graveyard. Their journey was nearly complete.

He ran his fingers through his hair, stopping for a minute to check them. Even in the darkness of the tent, he could see that his skin was pale and pinkish, not a sparkling gold. They were warm and sweaty, not cold and scaly. And yet…he could feel a phantom weight in his hand. As if he had been holding onto something small and fragile.

He started wiping his hands on his pants.

"Hey."

He snapped his head to the quite voice. Jay was up, looking at him in concern.

"I…I'm sorry I didn't mean to…"

"Hey, it's ok. I'm a light sleeper anyways. Someone's got to keep watch for you guys," Jay smirked as he sat up. Ben just nodded, biting his bottom as he tried to rid himself of that terrible feeling in his hands.

"You're going to cut your lip if you keep doing that," Jay teased as he lightly patting Ben on the shoulder. It was a gentle, comforting pat, something Ben didn't expect a tough looking guy like Jay could do. And yet the simple gesture helped ease him just a little bit. It wasn't enough to rid the feeling of disgust he had, but it was good to know someone was there. "Why don't you go get some air? It'll help."

"Will it?"

"Yeah. Carlos used to have nightmares when we first started traveling together. Fresh air and water seemed to help him. Give it a try."

"Uh…Thanks. I'll give it a try," Ben said. He sat there for a minute before finally crawling out of the tent. He stood outside the tent, waiting to see if maybe Jay would join him. A quick glance told him Jay was going to just lay back down, leaving Ben alone in the campsite.

He could feel the cool night air embrace him as he stood alone. It did feel good, but still not enough to get that horrific nightmare out of his head. He made his way to the river, hoping its icy cold water could help. As he walked, he couldn't help but see the nightmare play in his head again.

He had never actually met his mother's father. In fact, if his mother had never kept a tiny portrait of his grandparents in the library, Ben wouldn't even know what the man looked like. But from what she told him, Ben would have probably enjoyed meeting them. His grandmother was a lover of books like he was, and grandfather sounded like a benevolent ruler. But since he never left the castle and his grandfather dared not come to the Dark Castle, they never met in person. And it's not like his father would want them to meet after what happened to his mother.

His father was anything but a forgiving man.

Reaching the river bank, Ben kneeled down and splashed his face with water. The icy water sent a shiver down his spine, but it helped to wake him. The awareness helped push back the lingering nightmare. He could think a little clearer now. But he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

His mother's death had been a sore subject for two years now. He didn't know exactly of what happened, his father didn't want to go into detail, but all he knew was that his Grandfather Maurice was involved somehow. His mother had gone to visit and just never came back. She never came back to tuck him into bed. To tell him another story or gift him with another book. She never came back to have dinner with them. She'd never be there to convince his father to stop working so late, or stop being rude to visitors.

'_And it's his fault.'_

Ben shook his head, splashing water into his face to rid himself of that thought. It wasn't Grandfather Maurice's fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. And even if it was, his mother had taught him that forgiveness went a long way. He had to remember that.

He drew in a shaky breath. If he was being honest with himself, he hadn't thought about his mother's death a while. He definitely felt the emptiness without her in the castle, but he had gotten used to that with time. He'd coped with the loneliness by using fairy dust to turn the furniture into friends. But being used to something was so much easier that thinking about the reason why.

And that nightmare had brought up all those feelings. He didn't know what was scarier. The fact that he had dreamt about killing a man, or the fact that he did it for his mother. He loved her, that was no secret. But did he love her enough to kill for her?

"Gods, why would I even think that?" he asked him, disgust crossing his features. He splashed more water onto his face, trying to bury the dark thoughts. When his face was numb from river water, he allowed himself to just sit in silence.

Gods he missed her so much. He missed the smell of her hair. He missed her laugh. He missed how she wasn't afraid to chastise his father. He just…missed her. And he couldn't believe a stupid nightmare was making him think about her.

The tears started to fall.

"Now, now. Men don't cry, my dear boy_."_

He jumped to his feet, looking around. "W-who's there?" he asked, blinking rapidly to rid himself of his blurry vision.

"Don't be afraid," the voice told him. He looked around. The voice was small and light, with a slight melody to it. Like someone was ringing a bell as they spoke. Just as he thought he was going crazy, his e eyes caught movement of something. Across the river was a glowing purple ball of light. It floated towards him, diamond dust trailing behind. As it came closer, Ben's eyes finally registered what he was seeing.

"Y-you're a fairy."

Indeed, fluttering before him was a fairy. The tiny woman was dressed in a beautiful midnight black outfit. Her knee long skirt billowed out like the bulb of a jellyfish, string beads falling down from the skirt. Hey glass-like wings were a purplish black and as they fluttered, they reflected the light of the moon, giving them an ominous glow. Her hair was tied up in frizzy beehive, with braids falling down. She smiled at him, giving off a comforting glow as she laughed.

"Oh I'm not just any fairy. My name's Fiona and I'm your fairy godmother."

He blinked several times, a dumb founded expression plastered on his face. Of all the things he thought he'd hear that night, hearing _that_ was not what he'd been expecting. He'd read a lot of things in the library back home. There had been quite a lot about fairies, most of which were in a language she couldn't even understand let alone read.

But from what he could read, he understood enough to know that fairies usually came to good hearted people. They were especially drawn to children wanted a wish or something. Or, as his father had put it, "desperate brat who were too weak to fend for themselves". His mother had made him sleep in a hammock for that one.

His heart twisted at the memory. Wanting a distraction, he focused back on the fairy before him.

"I…I don't understand," Ben stammered. "I've read about fairies. I thought you only came to those who made a wish and…I didn't wish for anything."

"Didn't you? I heard your wish," Fiona told him as she fluttered close, placing her tiny hand over his heart. "Here. You don't need to make a wish. Not when you've got such a pure heart. Any fairy worth her fairy dust could sense it. You're just like your mother."

Ben blinked, trying to bat away the wetness in the corner of his eyes. "My…You knew my mom?"

"Oh of course, my sweet boy," Fiona said as she floated in front of him. "We were good friends. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about her."

"H-How come I've never seen you before?"

"Oh my dear, Ben. It's no secret that your father has a distain for fairies," Fiona told him. "Going to the castle wouldn't have ended well for me."

He could actually believe that. His father really did hate fairies. His father never hesitated to voice his opinions on them, how he'd pluck their wings if he ever got the chance. Ben also very much remembered what happened to Cinderella's fairy godmother. That had been a story he didn't need to hear. And now that he thought about it, he did remember his mother off handedly mention something about a fairy from her youth. But he had been a young boy at the time so the memory wasn't quite as clear as he'd like.

"Why, if I remember correctly, your mother had wanted to name you… 'Chip' was it?" Fiona spoke up as she fluttered around him. His ears burned at the name, his fingers curling around the enchanted satchel tied to his belt. He could feel the cup's outline within the protective leather.

"How'd you know that?"

"I was there, of course," she laughed. It was the kind of full body laughed a parent would make when their child told them an unfunny joke, but they wanted to be nice. "I've always been watching you, Ben. Since the day you were born. And now that you've left the castle, I can help guide you just like your mother wanted."

"I still don't get it. I've read about fairies and normal people don't get fairy godmothers."

"Who said you're normal?" Fiona asked as if he had offended her. "You, my sweet boy, are a child born from true love. The child of the Dark One and his true love. You are _so_ much more than normal."

Ben blinked. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the compliment. The way Fiona spoke to him, with love and affection, was so much like his mother. But that still didn't deal with the one issue of him not being magical. He told her as much and Fiona just chuckled.

"My boy, everyone has the potential for magic. You just have to dig deep inside and want it," she told him.

Something bubbled in his stomach. The sensation rose up until it came to stop in his chest. It felt like a cold flame was not resting in his chest. But as that sensation pulsed in his chest, that same cold feeling returned to his hand. The phantom sensation of having a heart in his hand snapped him out of that good feeling. It turned his brief high into a nasty reality check that made him want to puke. He shook his head.

"No. No I'm sorry. I can't."

His answer seemed to throw the fairy off, making her flutter back in surprise before composing herself. A wide smile graced her features as she floated in front of him.

"That's ok, my sweet boy," she smiled. "Magic or not, you've got a great destiny before you." She placed a warm hand on his cheek.

A sudden ringing in the air drew her attention and she looked back at him. "I'm sorry, but I must go now."

"Wait, already? But you just arrived?"

"Yes. Because your heart wanted companionship," she told him quickly as she floated backwards like some invisible force was pulling her. "But remember, should you ever need guidance, just call out with your heart. Call for me and I will be right by your side to guide you," she whispered softly, her voice reminding him of how his mother used to speak to him.

In the blink of an eye, she disappeared in a burst of dark purple light. It was so sudden and bright Ben had to blink a few times for his eyes to readjust. The warmth of Fiona's light disappearing with her, plunging Ben back into the cold night. He shivered at the sudden temperature change and rubbed his bare forearms for warmth.

Cold and alone. Story of his life.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_Storybrooke, November 4__th__, 2011_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

He didn't know what hurt more: the pain in his neck from sleeping in the closet, or having his back slam against his locker. He let out a silent cry of pain as he felt a metal lock press against his shoulder blade. While he was used to Gil's violent greeting, it didn't make the pain hurt any less. As his butt hit the floor, he looked up to see Gil and his goons laugh at him.

"Aw, sorry about that, Ben. You should have said something," he joked, making all his friends howl with laughter. Ben didn't find it particularly funny. He tried to get back up, only to stop as Gil grouched in front of him.

"Oh, hey, need a hand?"

He nodded. Which to be fair was his mistake. He should have seen it coming because it wouldn't be the first time Gil acted nice to him, only to humiliate him later. When he was expecting Gil to take his hand and lift him up, he instead got Gil reaching past his waistband and pulling him up by his boxers. The squeak of pain that ripped out of his throat was probably the loudest sound anyone had ever heard from Ben's mouth. Gil was thankfully merciful enough to let go and shove him back against the locker. This time Ben steadied himself on his feet, bracing himself against the locker to balance.

Why did this always happen to him? He didn't even do anything and let Gil came out of nowhere just to use him as a punching back. He could understand it when Grampa Moe disciplined him. But Gil? What did he do?

Apparently whatever he had done it was enough, because Gil was suddenly in his face, making Ben back up in fear. It was like looking into the eyes of a wild predator. And Ben was the prey.

"Hey!"

They all turned to the sound of the voice. As it turned out, it belonged to a petite girl. Ben recognized her almost immediately. It was hard not to recognize Uma. She was always advocating for student rights and trying to get her club to stay intact. Just last week, she was trying to get other students to join her to petition the mayor to start implementing solar energy. To be honest, he kind of admired her for that. And he'd admired her more if Gil wasn't holding onto his shirt so hard.

"What do you want pipsqueak?" Gil asked with a sneer. He thought Uma would leave at that, but to his surprise, she stood her ground. Sort of.

"Y-you shouldn't be bullying people," she stammered slightly before getting her composure.

"Bullying? Who's bullying? I'm just having a nice little chat with my pal." Ben suddenly found himself in a tight headlock. "Right, Ben?" When Gil applied a little too much pressure, Ben nodded in understanding. But Uma was undeterred.

"I-I know a bully when I see one, Gil. Now stop or I'll tell a teacher," she threatened.

There was a moment's pause. Ben held his breath, fearing if he made a single move, Gil's bicep would crush his windpipe. Fortunately, the blond let him go, shoving him against the same locker and getting in his face once again.

"I don't know what you did to get Evie to start taking notice of you, but you better give up now, Romeo. A dame like that deserves a real prince charming. You dig?" Gil whispered, his hot breath against Ben's cheek. "I see you around her again and I'll make sure your voice won't be the only thing you can't use. And next time, you won't have Shrimpy over there to watch your back."

Gil slammed the locker to get one final scare out of Ben before walking away with his goons. Ben stood there for a moment, biting his lower lip. If he bit down hard enough, maybe he could stop the tears.

"Are you ok?"

He had completely forgotten about Uma. He didn't expect her to stay. But there she was, offering him a tissue from her bubblegum pink Sailor Moon purse. He hesitated for a second before taking the offered tissue to wipe away moisture from his eyes.

"Don't listen to Gil," Uma advised. "He's just jealous."

Ben nodded. It was all he could really do. But Uma just smiled.

"It's ok. Everyone sort of…knows about," she gestured to her throat. She quickly added, "N-not that it matters to me. I…I mean…uh…y-you should still come to Evie's party tomorrow."

He gave her a questioning look.

"Evie's party? It's usually this big event and…well she invited you. And I-I'll be there so...I mean…Just come. You won't regret it. I promise."

Ben blinked in confusion. And then corners of his lips twitch. He nodded and Uma smiled.

"I'll…uh, see you there then." She smiled before walking off. He watched her go, unsure if what he had just done was a smart idea or not.

Gil was a jerk who took way too much joy in tormenting him. He didn't put it past Gil to just do something nasty to him just for fun. And to blatantly threaten him to stay away from Evie…he was ashamed to admit it but he'd prefer to just listen. He could predict Grampa Moe's temper, but he couldn't predict Gil's.

"Ben!"

He froze. God why did this keep happening to him? Turning to see Evie and Mal walk to him, Ben bit his lip. It was rude to run he told himself. But he was already bruised enough. He gave one short wave before stumbling off to class. He didn't want to get into any more trouble. He'd get Evie a gift as an apology, but then after tomorrow, he'll heed Gil's warning and stay away from her.


	13. The Con

**SlothKeeper: **I'm not dead! Just...unsure if I should continue. I was at least. I mean love this story, don't get me wrong, but the next few chapters were really hard and I just, couldn't write. But recent events have brought me to re-watching shows and DCOMS and well...the creativity flowed back. So I decided to tackle this again and hopefully I'll be able to push through these next iffy chapters so we can get to the real fun. I hope you all are doing well and safe.

off notes: if anyone has read some of my earlier fanfics, specifically my Lab Rats: THe Tale of Marcus Daveport, I want you to know that I will be re-writing that fic. So expect updates soon.

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen. The Con **

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_Port Tortuga, Three Months Before the Dark Curse_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Whoa. This place is amazing."

Mal raised an eyebrow at Ben's wide eyed amazement as they stood at the threshold of Port Tortuga. The place was filled with people, from commoners trying to make money with their little side shows, to drunks stumbling through the streets. For those used to busy places like this, it was just another town to walk through. But Ben looked like he had entered a sweet shop that was going out of business. If Jay wasn't holding onto his jacket, Mal was sure that Ben would have run off into the crowd.

"Dude, it's just Port Tortuga," Carlos commented as the five of them stepped through the crowd. The crowd stepped out of their way, not willing to bump into a group of teenagers. Especially a group that had someone like Jay. His tall stature and imposing stance helped ward off any riff raft they didn't need. Or, in Ben's case, to keep him in line.

"I know!" Ben smiled. "The books don't do this place justice. It's so much brighter here. And a lot warmer than I thought it would be. And that smell." He took in a deep breath, a grin splitting across his face. "What is that?"

"Hopefully sea water," Jay smirked as he patted Ben on the back. "Come on, Buddy. We need to go this way."

With Jay steering Ben forward and through the crowd, Mal had time to take in the sights. Port Tortuga wasn't any different from the other ports in the realm. It was large, with yellowish stone buildings that faced the sea. It was one of the few ports in all the realms to be considered neutral territory. And with it being one of the most central points in the realm, the port was a melting pot of cultures and festivals. From their short walk to the piers, Mal could see the villagers setting up for some sort of festival.

"What are those?"

Mal looked towards Ben, who was fixated on a couple of kids playing around with a paper lantern. Evie gasped, placing a hand over her heart as she cooed at the sight.

"It must be the lantern festival," the blue haired girl sighed. "I didn't even realize what time of the year it was."

"The lantern festival?" Ben asked confused, drawing everyone's attention. His dumbfounded expression reminded Mal just how sheltered the boy was. It wasn't like the festival was a new concept or anything like that. She could recall a pleasant memory from her childhood when her mother had taken her to see the lanterns.

"It's a light show," Jay informed Ben. "Everyone sends all the lanterns up into the air. I saw them once when my old man and I were traveling the realms. It was pretty sweet."

"One year, my father brought my sister, mother, and I to see the lanterns," Evie said with a longing smile. "It was one of the few times my mother had fun spending time with father."

"Mal and I got to see them when we were young," Carlos added as he scratched Dude's ear. He stopped, frowning slightly as a memory graced his mind. "Mom had a bit too much rum."

"A bit? She fell off the docks while yelling at a seagull," Mal laughed. The others laughed as well as the image of Cruella humiliating herself entered their minds. While Mal could respect Ursula and even Regina, she had no love towards Cruella. Thinking of Cruella, Mal placed a hand on Carlos's shoulder, giving him a small reassuring squeeze. Whether he knew what she meant or not didn't matter.

"Come on," Mal started as she turned from the lanterns. "We need to get some supplies. Even with a boat, it'll be a week before we can get to the Fairy Graveyard. Times a-wasting, people." She marched forward towards the shops, knowing the others would be behind her.

Port Tortuga was a mine field of distractions. It didn't take long for their little venture to veer off course. Even with a mission in mind, they were just teenagers and all it took was one thing to draw their attention. It started with Ben and a little stand full of maps. Then Jay got distracted with a display of weapons. And when Evie found some new silk to work with, well their 15-minute tour turned into an hour and a half window shopping spree. After a little while, Mal was enjoying herself.

It wasn't until she thought she saw a flash of turquoise did she snap out of the fun and fixed her thoughts on the mission. She excused herself from the group, telling them to find someone who'd ferry them to the island while she went on a personal errand.

During her walk towards her destination, she had caught sight of a fruit vendor angrily shouted at a pair of kids. The kids looked as helpless as puppies, and yet the guy just shooed them away. Annoyed, she walked by the vendor as he was distracted by a crate of oranges that had magically fallen to the ground. He wouldn't miss two apples. And as she walked away, she made sure those missing apples made their way to the two kids who had been eyeing them. She didn't even wait to hear them thank her. As fluid as a stream, she kept moving without missing a beat.

"That was nice of you."

She hadn't mean to, but upon hearing the sudden voice behind her, Mal's natural reaction was to strike first and ask questions if they were still breathing. Luckily for Ben, a punch to the gut was a lot less deadly than a fireball to the throat. She huffed in annoyance, trying not to feel bad as he held his stomach.

"Ow," he whined.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to stay with the others," Mal scolded him, crossing her arms in disapproval.

"I was curious where you were going," Ben said with a shy smile. To anyone else, it might have looked cute. But Mal's had time to build a wall against cute. She simply rolled her eyes and turned away, her destination still on her mind. She could hear Ben's boots patting towards her.

"Ever hear about what curiosity did to the cat?"

"Since I could walk actually," he replied and Mal cursed the boy's long legs giving him the ability to catch up with her.

"Guess you're not the type to learn," she commented. Ben laughed and she squashed that part of her the warmed at the sound.

"You know, you can insult me all you want, but it's still not going to change my mind," Ben smiled. She raised an eyebrow at his statement. He simply turned, looking back towards a couple of kids eating the apple she had swiped. Ben, in his ever annoying optimism, had misinterpreted her mischief as an act of kindness. For the son of the darkest being in the entire realm, Ben sure as hell didn't get it. Villains weren't good.

"Don't look too much into it," she told him before continuing her walk. She could hear him following behind her and she wished Jay had kept a better eye on Ben. It wasn't that hard. The boy was the tallest one out of the entire group and he was dressed in blue leather. So unless Jay confused Evie for Ben, there was no reason for the Agrabah native to have lost track of Ben. And yet. "Why are you even following me?"

"Like I said. I was curious."

"Word of advice, girls don't like stalkers."

"It's technically not stalking if I'm just following a friend."

This time it was Mal who stopped their walk. She couldn't help but stop and laugh at the comment. She gave him an amused look, tilting her head slightly as she asked him, "you really think of us as friends?"

"Yeah," he smiled. His lips stretched from ear to ear, highlighting his dimples. She countered his attempt at friendship with her own cunning smile. Leaning up to stare evenly with the tall boy, Mal broke his happy fantasy with her cutting words.

"A week's worth of walking and camping doesn't make us friends," she told him flatly. Well, it didn't win him points with her. She wasn't going to deny Jay and Carlos's near immediate attachment to Ben. But those two could get along with just about anyone. Evie only became friendly because of the deal they had made. But Mal had enough friends. The others were loyal. And she wasn't going to let herself become friends with someone who was just going to leave them in the end. She already made that mistake enough times.

Ben frowned at her comment and she simply raised an eyebrow, challenging him to find the fault in her logic. He only blinked, biting his lip as he tried to come up with an answer. Just when she thought he had won, he said, "Ok, but it's a start. And my mom always said a start is all you need."

She rolled her eyes. "You mother must been one real optimist."

"S-She was," Ben sighed sadly. His eyes drifted for a moment. It was the same expression Evie wore when she talked about King Leopold or when her own mother talked about Diablo. And Mal felt kind of bad.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. It's been a while. I've had time to…adjust."

And yet somehow Mal doubted him. She could see the corner of his eyes watering despite the pleasant smile he had put on his face. She decided to let the subject drop, turning to the shop. This time she let him follow like the lost puppy he was. She let him talk her ear off, listening to him talk about how fascinated he was with the town and the outside world. She just kept telling herself that at best, Ben was just leverage against Rumplestiltskin and at worse, a temporary companion.

But at least it was nice to have some noise as they finally reached their destination. The place didn't look much different from any other shop. It was a simple single store building made of yellow sandstone and terracotta roof tiles. Potted mandrake adorned either side of the wooden door. Hanging above the door was a simple sign that read "_Facilier's Apothecary_."

"Facilier's?"

Mal turned to look at Ben in surprise. "You know Facilier's?"

"Enough to know I know my father's not a huge fan of him."

"Why? Not big into voodoo?"

"No, he's dabbled in it before," Ben clarified. "It's just Facilier's spent a few years trying to…" he trailed off, as if a memory had popped in his head. "You know what, never mind."

"Oh no, no," Mal smirked. She smelled something fishy and it wasn't the port. "You don't just get to trail off like that. What were you going to say?"

"Uh, well…Um…Oh no, I'm tripping," he said as he pretended to trip over his own two feet. He pushed the door open and walked in. Mal huffed in annoyance before following behind him. He didn't get to avoid answering her questions. _She_ was the one who avoided answering questions.

Entering the shop, Mal frowned at the strong herbal scents. Even after all the times she's come into the place, she could never get used to the smell. And it looked like Ben was also having the same issue. He was covering his noise, coughing from the strong scent that assaulted his nostrils. "Don't be rude," she told him before giving him a hard pat on the back. Looking around, Mal raised a brow. There were several trunks around the shop, some closed and some open. Most of the products she was used to seeing were gone or in boxes.

The beads that covered the door to the back room jingled as someone stepped out. The young girl that stepped out was a near mirror image of her father. She rocked a feminine pants suit, the coat opened up to show off the corset she wore. Her top hat rested carefully against one of her pigtails. The streak of green that had run through her hair was fading, the natural ebony slowly returning. The girl looked up at Ben and smirked.

"Well hey there, handsome," she greeted, her voice silky as she drew out each syllable as she spoke. The girl left safety of the beaded curtains and strutted to Ben with the grace of a swan and the hungry eyes of a vulture. "Welcome to Facilier's. How can I help you?"

"Uh…I …Hi," Ben's face broke into a goofy smile. Mal could practically see his pupil's dilate and she rolled her eyes in embarrassment. She just reached up and pulled at his ear to snap him out of his daze. "Ow!"

"Sorry, Freddie," Mal told the girl, "but he's with me. And I don't have time for you to con us right now."

"You're such a party pooper, Mal," Freddie sighed playfully. The girl walked away from Ben. Now that Mal had snapped Ben out of the voodoo user's pheromone scent trick, there was no point in Freddie to continue with her con. While she was nowhere near as skilled in magic her father, Freddie knew how to con men into practically buying anything. And Mal would rather not waste what few gold coins they had. "If you're looking for a reading, Celia's not here. She and my old man are off getting the rest of our stuff from The Bayou."

"You guys going on a trip or something?" Mal asked as she looked at the trunks. To her surprise, Freddie just laughed.

"Where are you been? Haven't you heard? The Evil Queen's planning to cast her curse."

"Her curse?" Ben asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"See, he gets it."

"Yeah, good one," Mal snorted. "She failed to casting it months ago."

"Oh, she's not going to fail this time," Freddie said as she picked up some books and haphazardly dropped them in an empty trunk. "She's going to try again. And it's going to work this time."

"You can't be serious."

Freddie gave Mal a look she was all too familiar with. All sense of humor and playfulness left the girl's face as she stared Mal right in the eye. Freddie was one of the few people who wasn't afraid to look darkness in the eye. She was serious. "We've read all the cards. Looked through every crystal ball. Even chatted up Leota's ugly ass head. The Evil Queen's curse is going to work, and if you're smart, you'd get packing too."

"I'm not afraid of some wannabe dark mistress," Mal said, staring into Freddie's eyes, not willing to break their staring contest.

"I see you still have your mother's fire in you, Mal," a suave baritone voice chuckled behind them.

Mal heard Ben yelp in surprise and she rolled her eyes. Silently she sent a prayer to the ancients, because she was really tired of having people sneaking up on her today. She turned to find Facilier at the threshold of his shop. He was dressed in his usual red and purple suit, a more elaborate copy of Freddie's. The voodoo king entered the shop and, to her surprise, Mal felt Ben press against her side.

"Freddie, why don't you assist your sister with the carriage? We'll be leaving as soon as we finish with our last customers."

"It's been fun, Mal," Freddie said as she purposefully slipped between her and Ben. Freddie turned, winking at Ben before slipping out the shop.

"So, I assume you and your new…," Facilier looked down at Ben, his eyes holding that same predatory gaze Freddie had. This time Mal was the one to lean in front of Ben. While Freddie, and to an extent Celia, saw people as easy cons, Facilier saw puzzles. He saw people he could dissect or manipulate. While his powers of voodoo barely did anything but tickle any one with magic, Ben claimed he didn't' have magic and Mal would rather not find out the hard way if Facilier held power of Ben. "Friend aren't here for a casual visit. What can I do for my favorite customer?"

"Just some protection charms."

"is that all? Now what could the daughter of the great Dragoness herself need with protection charms?"

"We're going to -" Mal placed her hand over Ben's mouth before he could give up too much information. She made a mental note to teach him how to not be so trusting.

"Being safe couldn't hurt," Mal smirked. Facilier just matched her smirk before going to one of his trunks. She watched him carefully, keeping close to Ben.

"It does pay to be careful. There are many dangers in this realm. Especially for young children," Facilier said, his suave baritone voice ringing with each word. "But if I am to make you the best protection charms I can make; I'm going to need to know exactly what I'm protecting you from."

"No dice," Mal countered, crossing her arms. "Or are you worried you can't do it."

"My dear, there's nothing I can't do," he laughed. "But, it's perfectly fine if you don't want my help. I'm sure someone else can help you instead."

"We're going to the Fairy's Graveyard."

"Ben!"

"What? Mal, if he really needs to know we should just tell him," Ben said sheepishly. "I mean, if he can give us even a remotely decent charm, it can't hurt."

"Decent?" Facilier asked egregiously. To her surprise, Ben nodded pretty casually, as if he didn't just insult someone that could turn him into a living voodoo doll.

"Well, I mean, I know if we could have gone to the Dark One, he would have given us something that could ward off even Death," Ben said. Mal had to wonder if he'd finally gone insane. Facilier didn't seem to like the brunette's comment. He growled, standing tall and towering over Ben at his full height.

"The Dark One has gone soft over the years! His magic could barely protect a swine from a rainstorm let alone against some place as dangerous as the Fairy's Graveyard."

"I don't know," Ben muttered. Mal watched as his stance changed ever so slightly. He was no longer leaning close to her, but standing in a way that allowed for Falicier to have the height advantage. Yet he kept eye contact, his feature a mask of skepticism and doubt. "See, I heard that the Dark One's power is outmatch. He took down Camelot. Someone like that I'm sure could easily make us protection charms."

"For a price," Facilier countered hotly.

"Hey, if it means protection from the supposed boogeyman, sure."

"Were you raised by pirates, boy?" Facilier asked through gritted teeth. Ben just sighed and turned to Mal, his posture changing to one of boredom and disappointment.

"Come on, Mal. He's obviously just stalling. I told you, voodoo isn't just the same as real magic. Let's go and-"

He was cut off by a cane to the throat. Mal jumped back in surprise as Falicier used the ornate décor of his cane to snatch the scruff of Ben's shirt.

"You've got quite the tongue on you."

Ben just smiled, a sweet, innocent smile that showed no malice of ill intention. The room of silent as the two stared each other down. After what felt like hours, Falicier let Ben go, making sure to hit Ben with the cane in a way that it could easily be mistaken for an accident.

"You want a protection charm, I'll give you a protection charm," Facilier said smoothly, as if he was just about to beat a teenager with a cane. With a dramatic aflare, he turned from Ben and went to his back room.

Mal took the opportunity to give Ben a good smack to his stomach. He must have predicted it, because he caught her hand before it made contact, his grip surprisingly strong. She wretched her arm from his grasp and turned to him, her eyes flashing emerald green.

"Are you insane?" she hissed at him. "He could have killed you!"

"And miss the chance to prove me wrong?" Ben snickered, that bright eyed innocent back on his face. "His ego's too big for him to not try and show off how powerful he is." Ben whispered back. Mal scofted.

"Falicier's the kind of man who'll save a man's life just so he can gloat about it. He wants fame and reputation above anything else. Even his own pride," Ben whispered, his eyes never leaving the beaded curtains the voodoo king disappeared behind. For a brief instance, he didn't look so sweet and innocent.

"D-Did you just try and con the con man?"

"It's barely even trying if you already know it's going to work," he winked

A smug grin formed on his face. It was the same smug look he had on his face when he first proved he was Rumpelstiltskin's son. The look of someone who knew he had won before the game even began. And, as much as she hated to admit it, she was impressed. She hadn't seen this side of Ben since that first night they met. He had been such a wide eyed idiot this whole time that she thought it had all been an act; that the Ben back at the Castle had been all for show.

Mal stood there, briefly wondering if she was being conned too.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_Storybrooke, November 4th, 2011_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Lovely evening, isn't it, Ms. Fisher?"

Ingrid, or Sarah Fisher as the town knew her, stilled momentarily as the words reached her ear. The urge to turn around and blast the imp with ice was strong, but as it stood, Ingrid didn't have magic in this land. Any magic she did have left she had used to remove Emma's memories of their time together.

Once upon a time, she had been Emma's care taker. She had been the one to help raise the young savior. But she had destroyed whatever trust had been between them a long time ago. The only option she had left was to start all over again, re-introducing herself to Emma as the kind ice cream lady. In time she would hope that Emma would see her as a friend once more.

But if she was going to do that, she would first have to survive long enough to get there. The curse needed to be broken and Ingrid, who didn't arrive here with the other inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest, had to play the part of a meek woman. So, mustering up her best acting skills, she turned around to face Mr. Gold. Or as she knew him, Rumplestiltskin.

It really was startling to see him looking so human. Back in the Enchanted Forest, Rumplestiltskin was golden scaled skin. His hair had been a ratty mess and his teeth looked like they hadn't been brushed in centuries. But here, he was quite handsome. He held himself with such poise despite his limp. And he wasn't afraid to show off his best suits. But with the face or an imp or not, what didn't change was the all-knowing grin on his face.

"M-Mr. Gold. Good evening. Are you going to the Nolan's as well?" she asked.

"Ah yes," Gold started. "Our faithful coma patient is finally returning home isn't he? Feels like he's been in the hospital for…ever hasn't it?"

Ingrid nodded. But she couldn't help but think of how he had spoken. As if he was trying to fish for something. Whatever it was, Ingrid didn't know. But she wasn't going to let him use her for whatever he wanted.

"Yes. I can't even remember how long he's been in there." She said. "I-I'm glad he can finally return home."

"I hear our newest deputy is going to the party."

"Is she now? Well, I'll have to say hello, then," Ingrid said, readjusting the casserole dish in her hands.

"Well, allow me to accompany you," he smirked, limping towards her. Ingrid didn't know what he was planning, but it was better to keep him close and observe him. She wasn't sure if he was still cursed or not. Since Emma's arrival, things had been changing. Gold's behavior could easily just be the cursed persona looking to get his greedy mitts on something. She turned and moved forward. For a while, they walked in silence. Silence that Ingrid was able to think with. But like all good things, Gold had to ruin it.

"Ah, if you don't mind me asking, how is your foster daughter?"

Ingrid felt a knot twist in her stomach at the mention of Mal. "M-Mal?"

"Yes. Lovely name," Gold said with a smirk.

"Yes. It is," Ingrid agreed. Internally, she wanted to smack the imp. Cursed or not, she did not like how he was talking about Mal. "She's doing well. She's having a movie night with her friends actually."

"All her friends?" he asked.

"Yes."

"How quaint," he smirked. "You know, before she came to live with you, she didn't have many friends."

"Excuse me?"

"Just something I remembered is all," Gold said, waving it off nonchalantly. "A compliment on your parenting skill."

If he was trying to butter her up, Ingrid wasn't going to fall for it. "Thank you Mr. Gold. That's very kind of you."

"Although even with friends it's probably difficult to let old habits die."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Well, from my understanding, Mal had been in an altercation with another student earlier this week," he told her. He stopped, leaning on his cane, yet still holding himself as if he was lord of the land.

"Are you insinuating that Mal is bullying another student?" Ingrid asked, her anger boiling under the cool exterior she held. She knew Mal. She spent so many years with the young girl. Years filled with both joy and hurt. And in all those times, Mal had never once bullied another student. She might act stand offish but the girl was kind. Like her sister Helga. And if Ingrid wasn't trying to keep up the act, she would lay into Gold right there on the streets.

"Oh no, I wouldn't do such a thing," Gold reassured. "I simply heard it from a reliable source."

"And who would say such a thing?"

"Moe French."

Ingrid almost snorted. Moe French was far from reliable. She started walking forward, her pace increasing as the desire to get away from Gold grew. But despite his limp, he caught up with her in no time.

"You see, his grandson had a bit of an accident in front of my shop," Gold continued. "Deputy Rodgers had been passing by and he discovered a…_remarkably_ large bruise on the boy's wrist. When asked, Moe had implied your foster-daughter as the culprit."

"And you believe him?" Ingrid asked egregiously. Gold just laughed.

"I hardly trust Moe to finish the payment he owes me," he said. The comment just angered Ingrid even more. If he didn't believe Moe, why bring it up. "Which is a shame, because that'll mean I'll have to take his truck as collateral. But you don't have to worry, Mr. Fisher. I highly doubt he'll go confronting your foster-daughter about it. Moe did seem eager to brush the events away. A little _too_ eager if you ask me."

Now it was Ingrid's turn to stop their walk. She turned, seeing that irritating smug look on his face.

"What are you trying to say, Mr. Gold?"

"How well do you know your foster-daughter, Ms. Fisher?" he asked. "Could you say well enough to confront Moe about it?"

There was a moment of silence as Ingrid stared Gold down.

She turned away.

She didn't need to prove anything. She knew Mal well enough to know she would never hurt another student. Not unless they hurt one of her friends first. So if there had been a confrontation, then Ingrid was sure the boy deserved it.

However, that didn't mean she wasn't going to keep her eye on Moe. No one disrespected her family and got away with it. If Moe wanted to go around spreading rumors about Mal, then it was a good thing Ingrid was going to a party where many of the town gossips were attending. Let's see how well Moe will do when he couldn't afford to make his payments and loses his damn truck.

As she marched with a new found desire to ruin a foul man, she missed the smug grin that formed on Gold's face.

"It's barely even trying if you already know it's going to work," the man chuckled to himself before following after Ingrid.


End file.
